Mushrooms replace meat in this dish. A popular dish in northern and northeastern Thailand, pork is often a lively combination of cooked ground beef, fresh herbs and flavorful sauces. In this recipe, the mushrooms are roasted until golden and crispy on the edges, and once cooled, sprinkled with a mixture of cilantro, mint, basil, and spices, including chopped onions. The lime juice and soy sauce keep the sauce sharp and tangy. The light, crunchy taste of roasted ground rice is an important part of a salad, so don’t skip this step. Serve with white rice and additional lime wedges for squeezing.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mixed mushrooms, such as button, oyster, and shiitake, trimmed and quartered, or torn into 2-inch pieces if large
- ¼cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable oil
- Salt
- 2tablespoons uncooked glutinous or sweet rice
- 2limes
- 1tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1garlic clove, minced
- 2bird’s eye chiles, sliced, or ½ teaspoon red-chile flakes
- ¼cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼cup sliced scallions
- ¼cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- ½cup fresh mint leaves, torn
- ½cup fresh Thai or sweet basil leaves, torn
- Steamed rice, for serving
Preparation
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Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
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Step 2
Spread the mushrooms in an even layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with the oil. Season with salt and, using your fingers, toss to coat. Roast, turning the pan halfway through, until mushrooms are golden brown and crisp around the edges, about 25 minutes.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, toast the rice in a small skillet over medium, stirring often, until it begins to smell nutty and turn golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder and process to a medium-coarse powder.
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Step 4
Zest and juice 1 lime into a medium mixing bowl. Add the sugar, soy sauce, garlic and chile. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the roasted mushrooms to the bowl and toss to coat. Add the onion, scallions, cilantro, mint and basil. Stir to combine, then sprinkle on the toasted rice powder.
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Step 5
Cut the remaining lime into wedges. Serve the mushroom larb alongside steamed rice with lime wedges for squeezing.
