Vegetarian Larb Recipes

THAI LARB RECIPE

Steps:

• Dice half the onion (you'll need 1 cup diced) and thinly slice 1/4 of the onion ( 1/4- 1/2 cup).
• Place the sliced onions in a bowl, cover with 1/2 cup hot boiling water and 2 tablespoons vinegar, place in the fridge.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup diced red onion, saute 3-4 minutes, add garlic, lemongrass and chili flakes. Saute until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the ground meat, breaking it apart with a metal spatula. Season the meat with the salt and pepper and continue cooking until all the liquid releases and evaporates about 10 minutes. Drain the fat from the meat, using a fine-mesh strainer.
• While the ground meat is cooking, prep the remaining ingredients. Place the cucumber, radish, scallions, mint, basil, cilantro, fresh chili (optional) in a bowl. Add the drained meat and the strained pickled onions. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Taste, adjust salt, lime and heat. I'll usually add more chili flakes. or finely diced fresh chilies.
• Serve with lettuce wraps and/or cooked rice. Serve warm or chilled. ( If chilling, make doubly sure to strain all the fat from the meat -it will harden in the fridge.)

TOFU LARB

Steps:

• Make the toasted rice powder: Heat a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add the rice and stir constantly for 4 to 6 minutes until golden, with a nutty aroma. Transfer rice to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until it is a coarse powder. (You don't want it too fine; some texture is nice.) You should have about 3 1/2 tablespoons. Set rice powder aside.
• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce and red-pepper flakes; whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
• Crumble the tofu into small chunks and place in a large bowl.
• Heat the medium skillet over medium-high and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the lemongrass and shallot and cook, stirring constantly, until softened and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add to the tofu, along with the lime dressing, rice powder, makrut lime leaves, herbs and salt. Taste and add more salt if needed.
• To serve, spoon the tofu larb into the lettuce leaves and garnish with crispy fried shallots.

VEGETARIAN LARB

Steps:

• Heat the sesame oil.
• Sauté the crumbled tempeh. Turn off heat.
• Add soy sauce, lime, chilies, onion, rice powder and mint.
• Play with the proportions. I like mine more lime-y and hot than this but I start out this way.
• Serve on a bed of lettuce and cucumber or eat like lettuce wraps or in Napa cabbage leaves.