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If you frequent Thai restaurants you probably know of a dish called larb or laab - a salad made of ground meat so popular that is was even mentioned in a Spider Man movie! But the laab I'm sharing in this post is something entirely different...it's not even a salad.
It hails from the North, so it is specifically called laab nuea (nuea = north) or laab kua (more on this below). If you've been to Chiang Mai, you might have tried it, but outside of northern Thailand it's very hard to find - a truly hidden gem! It's made from ground meat mixed with a unique blend of spices, giving it a flavour unlike any other dish in Thai cuisine.
What is Laab Kua?
Let's get the names straight because it is a dish that goes by a few different names. Laab kua ลาบคั่ว is also called laab nuea ลาบเหนือ or laab mueang ลาบเมือง. Sometimes it's referred to as the laab of the province in which it is made - so if you're in Chiang Mai they might call it laab chiang mai, for example. And laab found in different northern provinces can have slight variations, as with most regional foods.
Whatever the name, it refers to a dish made from minced meat - typically but not exclusively pork or beef - and the meat is flavoured with a special spice blend. This spice blend is called prik laab. It is served with fresh herbs, fresh vegetables, and sticky rice is a must.
Laab was originally a dish made for large gatherings. Villagers would butcher a whole animal specifically to make laab for whatever the occasion might be, and it would be a communal effort to make this dish. This is why traditional laab kua uses a lot of offal -and by a lot I mean ALL of the offal - because they wanted to use the whole animal! (But do not worry, for my recipe I've made it homecook-friendly, using only meat and, if you like, liver.)
In Northern Thailand laab is sometimes served raw (called laab dib, dib = raw). Think beef tartare, but with Thai spices! While I don't suggest you do this at home because of the obvious food safety risk (unless you're using sashimi-grade fish), it's an important thing to be aware of when you go to Thailand! And this is why the cooked version that we're making is called laab kua, because kua means to stir in a hot pan.
Ingredients and Notes
Here are all the ingredients you need and important notes about them. It looks like a lot, but you probably have many of the spices at home already! For amounts, see the recipe card below.
The Spice Blend: Prik Laab
Gathering spices for laab kua is really the hardest part, but if you're missing a thing or two, it's fine to skip them. There are many recipes for prik laab; some use more spices, while others use less, so this is by no means the golden standard!
*To save time, you can buy pre-made prik laab here (US only) made by my good friend Chef Hong Thaimee. You can also buy prik laab at most markets in Northern Thailand. If you see other brands, please check first that it is a spice blend for NORTHERN laab, and not just a "laab seasoning mix" which is for the other kind of laab.
- Cumin seeds
- Sichuan peppercorns, I'm adding these as a substitute for a Thai herb called makwaen which is a relative of Sichuan peppercorns. They have similar tingly heat!
- Coriander seeds, do not use ground coriander for this as I find ground coriander doesn't have half the aroma whole seeds do.
- Fennel seeds
- Cinnamon sticks, or ground cinnamon is fine.
- Bay leaves
- Black peppercorns
- Cloves
- Nutmeg, I'm using ground nutmeg here, but you can also grate fresh nutmeg.
- White cardamom, or substitute green cardamom.
- Long pepper, also known as Indian long pepper, has a super unique aroma that is hard to describe, but I get a zingy citrus plus a deep woodsy aroma. You won't find this in most stores, and I bought this online, but it is okay to skip it.
- Star anise
- Dried chilies or chili flakes. In Thailand the chilies are ground up into the spice blend, but for me I like to keep the chilies separate so I can adjust the heat each time depending on who I'm making it for. This means that if you already have roasted chili flakes handy (perhaps from my other recipes!) you can just use that!
The Laab Kua
- Fish sauce. See how to choose good fish sauce here.
- Ground pork or ground beef, I'm using pork. Preferably not too lean.
- Pork liver (optional).
- Garlic, for making fried garlic.
- Shallots, traditionally we fry the shallots crispy and then top the dish with it, using the same oil you used to fry the garlic. I simplify this step by simply just sauteing the shallots into the dish and then topping it with store bought fried shallots (there is enough to do already!). But if you want to make your own, here's my guide to making perfect crispy fried shallots!
- Lemongrass, bottom half only.
- Galangal (optional).
- Cilantro
- Green onion
- Vietnamese coriander. This is called pak preaw in Thai but usually labelled in Asian stores as rau ram, which is the Vietnamese name. If you can't find it, it's okay to omit.
- Sticky rice for serving. Please trust me on this: laab kua is not nearly as good served with regular/jasmine rice. The chewy, dense sticky rice really makes the dish. Here's my favourite method for making sticky rice, if that doesn't work for you, also check out 7 other ways to make sticky rice!
- Accompaniments: fresh crunchy veg such as Asian green cabbage (this is the squat cabbage you find at Asian stores, which is sweeter and crunchier than the ball-shaped ones in Western stores), cucumber, carrots, long beans. It's also very common to serve crispy pork rind alongside laab (we really do use the whole animal!)
How to Make Northern Laab Kua
Here's a bird's eye view of all the steps. If this is your first time I recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success. For the full instructions see the recipe card below.
- Toast the cumin seeds over medium heat until the darken and start to pop. Remove.
- Toast the rest of the spices until the coriander seeds darken and start to pop.
- Toast spicy dried chilies over medium heat until charred spots form. You can also toast chili flakes until they darken slightly.
- Grind all the spices except the chilies into a powder. Grind the chilies separately into a powder.
- Combine spices, chili powder, water and fish sauce and stir to dissolve the spices.
- Pour the spice mixture into the ground pork.
- Knead the pork with your hands until the spices are evenly distributed.
- Stir in chopped liver just to mix.
- Fry garlic in oil over medium low heat until golden and the bubbling has subsided. About 5 minutes.
- Drain and keep the garlic oil separate from the fried garlic.
- In a wok, add the garlic oil, shallots, lemongrass and galangal and sauté until the herbs start to turn golden.
- Add the pork/liver mixture and cook until the pork is fully cooked; making sure to break up the pork so there are no chunks.
- Off heat, then add cilantro, mint and rau ram (pak preaw) and stir to mix.
- Plate and top with mint.
- Sprinkle fried garlic, fried shallots and serve with extra fresh herbs, fresh veggies and sticky rice.
- If you want to eat laab like a Thai, eat it by hand! Ball the sticky rice up into a dense, small ball, and use your fingers to pinch the laab onto the rice and enjoy!
Tips for Advance Prep
This is a lot of things to do if you do it all in one go, but there are things you can do to make this weeknight-friendly:
- Make the spice blend in advance. This is the biggest thing to get out of the way as the rest is pretty easy. And once you make it one time, you'll have it for the next several batches.
- Make fried garlic and garlic oil in advance. I usually have garlic oil and fried garlic in my fridge already cuz I make it in bulk and use it for a lot of things (and you'll want to use it on a lot of things once you have it trust me!). So if you're gonna do it ahead, I recommend making a whole bunch - at least use a whole head of garlic.
- Make the roasted chili flakes in advance. I also usually have this in the fridge in bulk, and it's so useful for adding heat to anything that needs it!
FAQ: Can You Make Laab Kua with Other Kinds of Protein?
Pork and beef are the most popular options for making laab kua in Thailand, but you absolutely can use any other kinds of ground meat. Lamb would work beautifully with all of the spices in this dish, though ground chicken and ground turkey instead as well, and I would recommend dark meat for both of those.
You can also make laab with fish! Any kind of fish will work. If using fish, you will need to mince the fish yourself as they don't sell ground fish, last I checked :). Simply chop the fish into small pieces and then use a cleaver or a sturdy chef's knife to mince. You can see my laab chicken recipe video for how to hand-mince meats, starting at around minute 3:20.
Worth noting: if you're using sashimi grade fish, you can actually eat it raw! Mince the fish and then mix with the spices, seasonings, and fresh herbs as per the recipe.
To make it vegan, you can use TVP, or crumbled pressed tofu, like the one I used in my Vegan Laab Recipe. I'd recommend mixing it with finely chopped mushrooms for some extra umami and chew, then use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.
More Northern Thai Recipes You'll Love!
- Gaeng Hung Lay - Northern Thai Pork Curry
- Khao Soi: Thai Curry Noodle Soup
- "Sai Ua" Northern Thai Sausage ไส้อั่ว
- Northern Curry Glass Noodle Stir Fry
Laab Kua - Northern Thai Laab (Larb)
By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Not the laab you know! This laab hails from the north, and it's made from ground pork or ground beef mixed with a ton of aromatic spices. Topped with fried garlic, fried shallots, and served with sticky rice, it is unlike any other dish in Thai cuisine!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
Prik Laab (laab spice blend, see note 5)
- 1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, see note 1
- 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
- 0.5 oz crushed cinnamon sticks, or 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 5 pods white cardamom
- 3 pieces long pepper, see note 2
- 1 piece star anise
For Laab Neua
- 1½ Tablespoons laab spice mix
- 2 teaspoons roasted chili flakes, or to taste (see note 3)
- 1½ Tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 ½ Tablespoons water
- 1 lb ground pork
- 4 oz pork liver , chopped into small pieces (optional)
- 3-4 Tablespoons neutral oil
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ cup shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, finely chopped
- 5 thin slices galangal, optional, finely chopped
- 5 springs cilantro, chopped
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 10-15 leaves Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), see note 5
- ½ cup mint leaves
Garnishes and Serving
- Sticky rice
- Fresh crunchy vegetables such as Asian cabbage, carrot, cucumber and long benas
- Crispy pork rind, optional
Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use
Notes
- Sichuan peppercorns are a substitute for a Thai herb called makwaen which is a relative of Sichuan peppercorns.
- Long pepper, aka Indian long pepper, can be found online, but it is not necessary and can be omitted.
- You can toast whole dried chilies (such as arbol or Thai chilies) until charred and then grind into flakes as shown in the video. Or simply toast chili flakes in a dry skillet over low heat until it darkens and smells smokey.
- Rau ram, aka Vietnamese coriander or pak preaw in Thai, is typically added to laab but if you can’t find it or don’t like it, simply add more of the other fresh herbs.
- To save time, my good friend sells pre-made laab spice blend here. If you see other brands check that it is for northern laab, and NOT for the other laab.
FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL
All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!
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Instructions
For the Laab Spice Mix
Place the cumin seeds in a small skillet and toast them over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly until they start to pop and darken slightly. Immediately pour them onto a plate to cool.
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
Place all of the remaining whole spices into the pan and toast over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the coriander seeds start to pop and darken slightly. Pour onto the same plate to cool.
1 Tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds, 0.5 oz crushed cinnamon sticks, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 5 pods white cardamom, 3 pieces long pepper, 1 piece star anise
Place all of the whole spices and any ground spices you’re using into a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Store in a cool dark place, in an airtight container, for up to 6 months.
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Laab
In a small bowl, combine the laab spice mix, chili flakes, fish sauce and water and stir to dissolve the spices.
1½ Tablespoons laab spice mix, 2 teaspoons roasted chili flakes, 1½ Tablespoons fish sauce, 1 ½ Tablespoons water
In a medium mixing bowl, insert the ground pork and flatten it in the bowl, then pour the spice mixture over the pork and knead it with your hands until well combined. Add the chopped liver (if using) and knead gently just until mixed.
1 lb ground pork, 4 oz pork liver
Make fried garlic and garlic oil. In a small pot, add 3 tablespoon of the oil and one small bit of chopped garlic and set it over medium high heat. Once the garlic starts to bubble, add the rest of the garlic and turn the heat down to medium low, adding more oil as needed to keep the garlic barely submerged. Keep frying, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden (not brown) and the bubbling subsides, about 5 minutes. Drain the garlic with a metal sieve, reserving the garlic oil.
3-4 Tablespoons neutral oil, 5 cloves garlic
In a wok over medium high heat, add about 2 tablespoon of garlic oil (keep leftover oil in the fridge, it’s good on everything), then add the shallots, lemongrass, and galangal, and fry until the lemongrass starts to brown.
¼ cup shallots, 1 stalk lemongrass, 5 thin slices galangal
Turn the heat up to high and add the pork and keep stirring and smashing it to break up the lumps. Keep going until fully cooked; there should be a little bit of liquid left in the pan but not a ton. Taste and adjust more seasoning with fish sauce as needed.
Turn off the heat, then stir in cilantro, green onions,and rau ram.
5 springs cilantro, 1 green onion, 10-15 leaves Vietnamese coriander (rau ram)
Plate, top with fried garlic, fried shallots, and mint, and place extra fresh herbs on the side. Serve with sticky rice, fresh veggies, and crispy pork rind.
Sticky rice, Fresh crunchy vegetables such as Asian cabbage, carrot, cucumber and long benas, Crispy pork rind, ½ cup mint leaves
How to eat: this dish is typically eaten by hand, and I recommend watching the video tutorial at the end to see how it's done! But basically you take a small amount of sticky rice and ball it up into a tight ball. Then “dip” the rice ball into the laab and use your fingers to “pinch” the laab onto the sticky rice - then into your mouth. Follow it up with veg and/or crispy pork rind!
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