Recipe

Asia → 🇱🇦 Laos → Luang Prabang
Larb (Lao Herb & Meat Salad)
Lao · easy · serves 3
prep 15 min · cook 10 min
~777 cal · 51g protein · 113g carbs · 11g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Herb-flecked minced meat salad with sticky rice and raw vegetables
🇱🇦 Luang Prabang
Larb is Laos’ national dish and its word for luck — served at weddings and new beginnings. The toasted-rice powder (khao khua) is non-negotiable: it thickens the dressing and gives every bite its nutty crunch. Eaten with sticky rice, by hand.
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Ingredients
Serves 3 —
•
1 lb ground pork (or chicken)
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2 cups + 2 tbsp sticky rice (some for khao khua powder)
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2.5 tbsp fish sauce
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3 tbsp lime juice
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3 shallots, thinly sliced
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1–2 tsp toasted chili flakes
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1.5 cups total mint + cilantro + culantro (if you can find it)
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3 scallions, sliced
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a platter raw vegetables to serve: cabbage wedges, long beans, cucumber
Instructions
1
Make khao khua: toast 2 tbsp raw sticky rice in a dry pan until deep gold, then grind to a coarse powder.
2
Cook the meat (or mushroom-tofu) in a splash of water over medium heat, breaking it fine, just until done — larb is dressed warm, not seared.
3
Off the heat, dress with fish sauce, lime, chili flakes, and shallots.
4
Fold in the herbs, scallions, and rice powder last so everything stays lively.
5
Serve warm with sticky rice and the raw vegetable platter — pinch, scoop, repeat.
Luang Prabang tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Luang Prabang. Mekong monastery town of herbs, alms, and sticky rice.
🗺️
Laos. Sticky rice, fresh herbs, and the art of larb.
🌍
Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩‍🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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