Tofu Larb Recipes

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.

THAI LARB RECIPE (LARB MOO ลาบหมู)

Steps:

• First step is to make the toasted rice (khao kua ข้าวคั่ว).
• Heat a frying pan on low heat, toss in the uncooked Thai sticky rice (no oil). Stir continuously, kind of like you're roasting peanuts or coffee. Toast the rice until it turns from white to golden yellow, almost to the point where it looks like brown wheat. It will also be very fragrant and smell almost like popcorn. It took me about 15 minutes or so.
• Once the rice is finished toasting, and has cooled off a bit, put it into your stone mortar and pestle. Pound the rice until it turns into a coarse powder (a blender or food processor will also work fine). Put your toasted sticky rice powder in a bowl aside.
• Add 300 grams of minced pork to a small sized saucepan with a handle. Fry the pork, breaking it into small minced pieces, until it's fully cooked all the way through. For best flavor, leave all the oils that come out (but if you want to be healthier, you can also drain the pork oil, and add in a splash of water instead). Take the pork off the heat.
• Leaving the pork in the same pot, add 1 heaping tablespoon of the toasted rice powder into the pork. Also toss in ½ - 1 tablespoon of chili flakes.
• Add a pinch of sugar, ½ tablespoon of fish sauce, and squeeze in the juice from 1 - 2 limes (I used about 1 ½ full limes, but I like it quite sour).
• Give the pork and the seasoning a quick stir.
• Peel and slice the shallots, finely mince about 5 green onions and a few culantro leaves (if you have them), and just pluck about 20 or so mint leaves off the stem. Throw everything into the saucepan with the pork.
• Give the larb moo a good mix, making sure all the spices and dressing coats the pork.
• Taste test. See if it needs more fish sauce for saltiness, lime juice, or chili flakes. Get it the way you want it.
• Dish it out onto a plate and garnish with more mint leaves, Thai sweet basil, and culantro.

TOFU LARB

Steps:

• Combine lime juice, sugar, fish(or soy) sauce, salt and red pepper flakes, stirring until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
• Spread the tofu in a single layer onto several layers of paper towels, cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 15 minutes, pressing down occasionally.
• Heat the oils in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
• Add onion, garlic, and chiles, saute 3 minutes.
• Add tofu, cook 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in juice mixture; cook 1 minute or until heated. Remove from heat, stir in basil and mint.
• Spoon about 1/2 cup tofu mixture into each cabbage(or lettuce) leaf. Enjoy!

TOFU LARB

Steps:

• 1. Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves; set aside. Spread tofu in a single layer onto several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 15 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Heat oils in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and chiles; sauté 3 minutes. Add tofu; cook 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in juice mixture; cook 1 minute or until heated. Remove from heat; stir in basil and mint. Spoon about 1/2 cup tofu mixture into each cabbage.