Beef Laap

Next up is Laap or Lap or Lab or Lahp (the name seems to change from menu to menu). It's the national dish of Laos and its well tasty! Eat it with sticky rice of course and papaya salad (recipe another time).
I've amalgamated a couple of recipes that I've found on the net, so hope it works, all the main flavours are there anyway, you're supposed to put in a banana flower to, but I'm guessing thats going to be to hard to get in the old UK.


Ingredients

Minced beef, a normal sized packet. You could use pork or chicken too or if you are particularly weird....tofu :(

2 large cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons ground roasted sticky rice (fry some sticky rice in a pan carefuly, it will easily stick, until brown and then crush using a pestal and morter).

2 red chillies, finely sliced (less or more dependent on spicyness you want)

1/3 cup finely chopped spring onions.

3 tablespoons chopped mint

3 tablespoons coriander finely chopped

1 kaffir lime leaf

½ teaspoon chopped lemon grass

2 - 3 tablespoon fish sauce

2 - 3 tablespoon squeezed lime

½ teaspoon chopped galangal or ginger



Method

Heat oil in wok until hot, then add the beef. Fry over medium to hot heat. Remove from oil, drain and cool.
Then fry your garlic, lemon grass and ginger until barely golden, then add the fish sauce, the lime juice and the soy sauce.
Sprinkle the ground roasted sticky rice over the mixture, and mix together. Taste and adjust soy sauce if necessary.
Take off the heat and add the sliced chillies and chopped spring onions, mint and coriander. Lightly mix, then pile on a serving dish.

You should end up with a plate of minced, herby deliciousness, fairly dry but with just a little juice that you can dip your little balls of rice into!

Easy! Eat with sticky rice of course :)

Further reading:

Laocuisine.net
Epicurious
More Laap
Further Lao food Links