Asian & Pacific Islander | Saveur

Thai Green Mango Salad (Som Tum Mamuang)

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:50:01 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

A street food favorite in the night markets of Thailand, this Thai green mango salad recipe, known as som tum mamuang, is a refreshing adaptation of a more widely known version made with papaya. Usually served as an appetizer, this spicy-sweet salad makes splendid use of crunchy and tart unripe mangoes.

A fruit shredder can make quick work of slicing the mangoes. A mortar and pestle is also key for extracting flavor and fragrance from the aromatics and fruit (and is a worthwhile investment for all kinds of cooking). When making this dish, cooks in Thailand traditionally use a larger mortar than what is typically found in the U.S.

This recipe originally ran in our June/July 2010 print issue with the story “Everything Is Illuminated,” by James Oseland.

Yield: 2

Time: 25 minutes

2 Tbsp. small dried shrimp
8 red bird’s eye chiles, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ medium shallot, finely chopped
3 small, green unripe mangoes (about 1½ lbs.), peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
18 green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-in. lengths
14 grape tomatoes, halved
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. palm sugar or brown sugar
2 Tbsp. roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

In a large mortar and pestle, pound the shrimp until coarsely ground; transfer to a small bowl and set aside. To the mortar, add the chiles, garlic, and shallot and pound until bruised. Working in batches, add the mangoes and pound, using a spoon to scrape the sides and combine well after each batch, until the fruit is softened slightly and fully coated in the aromatics. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
To the mortar, add the green beans and tomatoes and lightly pound to extract their juices. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar, then transfer to the bowl with the mango mixture and toss well. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, garnish with the crushed dried shrimp and peanuts, and serve at room temperature.

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Bun Cha (Grilled Vietnamese Meatballs with Rice Vermicelli)

Kate Berry — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:20:48 +0000

Photography by David Malosh; Food Styling by Pearl Jones; Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio

SAVEUR’s chief content officer Kate Berry was born in Southern Vietnam, though she is particularly fond of these Northern-style grilled meatballs, which she tasted for the first time in a restaurant here in the States. According to the classic bun cha recipe, the slightly flattened meatballs are cooked over a wood or charcoal fire, but she finds that a stovetop grill pan is a great substitute for achieving the dish’s requisite char and smoky flavor.

Bun cha is usually served with a light and brothy dipping sauce; Berry suggests swirling the grilled meatballs directly in the condiment—fortifying it with their flavorful juices—before pouring the liquid liberally over the noodles and topping with fresh herbs. A side of crunchy do chua—Vietnamese carrot-daikon pickle—lends the rich pork an extra layer of freshness and crunch; find our recipe here. If cooking the meatballs on a wide-set grill, thread the meatballs on a skewer to prevent them from falling through the grates.

Yield: 4–6

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

¼ cup fish sauce, preferably Vietnamese-style
3 Tbsp. turbinado sugar
1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
3 lemongrass stalks, outer layers removed, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 lb. ground pork

For the dipping sauce:

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. fish sauce, preferably Vietnamese-style
⅓ cup turbinado sugar
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. coconut water
¼ cup fresh lime juice
4 garlic cloves, grated
1–2 red bird’s-eye chiles (optional)

For serving:

Leaves from 1 head soft lettuce, such as red or green leaf or Bibb
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced on the bias
Fresh herb sprigs, such as Thai basil, cilantro, mint, shiso, rau ram, or sawtooth
Rice vermicelli noodles, cooked according to package instructions and chilled

Instructions

Make the meatballs: In a medium bowl, whisk together the fish sauce and sugar until the sugar dissolves. To a small food processor, add the shallot, garlic, and lemongrass until finely chopped (or finely chop using a chef’s knife). Stir the chopped aromatics and black pepper into the sugar mixture, then add the pork, stirring with clean hands to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce: In a medium bowl, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, coconut water, lime juice, garlic, chiles (if using), and ½ cup cool water until the sugar dissolves. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat a grill over medium heat, or a well-seasoned grill-pan over medium-high heat. Place a clean, large platter by the grill or stove.
Divide the chilled meatball mixture into twenty 2-ounce portions (a scant ¼ cup per meatball). Gently roll each portion into a ball, then press gently between your palms to slightly flatten on 2 sides. (This will make the meatballs easier to grill; do not fully flatten into patties). Grill the meatballs, turning once, until deeply charred on both sides and cooked through, 5–10 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to the platter; serve the bun cha hot, with the reserved dipping sauce, lettuce leaves, cucumbers, and herbs on the side.

Do Chua (Vietnamese Carrot Daikon Pickle)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID MALOSH; FOOD STYLING BY PEARL JONES; PROP STYLING BY SOPHIE STRANGIO

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Sardine Bánh Mì

Shirley Garrier and Mathieu Zouhairi — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 20:21:15 +0000

Republished with permission from The Social Food: Home Cooking Inspired by the Flavors of the World by Shirley Garrier & Mathieu Zouhairi (Rizzoli New York; 2022)

After Shirley Garrier’s family left Vietnam and settled in France, her grandmother couldn’t find the ingredients to make a classic Vietnamese bánh mì. So she bought French sardines preserved in olive oil, which were cheap but very tasty. It was a revelation. Because sardines are a fatty fish, they balanced out the sourness of the pickled vegetables and the herbaceous cilantro. To this day, Garrier remains proud of the way this sandwich exemplifies her family’s cultural background. When she and her partner in life and business, Mathieu Zouhairi, were writing their cookbook, The Social Food: Home Cooking Inspired by the Flavors of the World, they knew this canned sardine banh mi recipe had to be in it.

Though store-bought bread will work well in this sandwich, nothing beats a fresh homemade baguette. Follow this dồ chua recipe to make the Vietnamese carrot-daikon pickle at home.

Republished with permission from The Social Food: Home Cooking Inspired by the Flavors of the World by Shirley Garrier & Mathieu Zouhairi (Rizzoli New York; 2022)

This recipe is adapted from The Social Food: Home Cooking Inspired by the Flavors of the World by Shirley Garrier & Mathieu Zouhairi (Rizzoli New York; 2022).

Yield: 2

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Two 4.2-oz. cans oil-packed sardines
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1 red bird’s eye chile, finely chopped
3 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 baguette, split lengthwise
Maggi sauce, to taste
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
3½ oz. dồ chua (carrot-daikon pickle)
Fresh mint and basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

To a wide, shallow baking dish or plastic container, add the sardines and their oil. Sprinkle over the shallot, chile, cilantro, lime zest, and sugar, then pour over the lime juice and fish sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
Sprinkle a few drops of Maggi sauce to taste over the cut side of each baguette half. Spread one half evenly with mayonnaise and top with the dồ chua, followed by the sardines and some of their marinade. Garnish liberally with additional cilantro and fresh mint and basil leaves, if desired. Top with the second half of the baguette and cut the loaf crosswise to make two large sandwiches. Serve at room temperature.

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Soy Pickled Tomatoes with Silken Tofu

Hetty McKinnon — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 20:43:31 +0000

Photography by Hetty Lui McKinnon

This recipe is brought to you by SAVEUR Cookbook Club, a passionate community of food-loving readers from around the globe that features our favorite authors and recipes. Join us as we cook through a new book every two months, and share your food pics and vids on social media with the hashtags #SAVEURCookbookClub and #EatTheWorld.

When the days are hot and the cherry tomatoes prolific, there’s no reason to turn on the oven or stove. Instead, gather the juiciest specimens from the farmers market and make this luscious, satisfying dish adapted from author Hetty McKinnon’s newest cookbook, Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds. Silken tofu is the perfect vehicle for juicy tomatoes that have been luxuriating in a garlicky bath of soy sauce and vinegar and spiced up with chile oil. Best of all it’s delicious served cold from the refrigerator, topped with a handful of fresh herbs. It’s delicious on it’s own, or served with rice. — Ellen Fort

Yield: 4

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the pickled tomatoes:

12 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
1 Tbsp. black or rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. chile oil
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
½ tsp. sugar
1 garlic clove, finely grated

For the tofu:

2 lb. cold silken tofu, drained and patted dry on all sides with paper towels
1 Tbsp. white sesame seeds, toasted
4 shiso leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
2 scallions, tops and bottoms trimmed, thinly sliced
Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Make the pickled tomatoes: In a medium bowl, stir together all the ingredients and set aside to marinate for 10–20 minutes. (Alternatively, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours; bring to room temperature before using.)
Meanwhile, make the tofu: Place the tofu onto a platter. Without cutting through to the bottom, slice the tofu in a crosshatch pattern at 1-inch intervals (this will help the sauce penetrate).
To serve, spoon the reserved tomatoes and their sauce over the tofu, then scatter with the scallion, cilantro, shiso (if using), and sesame seeds.

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Sindhi Kadhi (Pakistani Vegetable Curry)

Natasha Raheja — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 20:08:51 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

This Sindhi kadhi (Pakistani vegetable curry) recipe is a hot, subtly tart stew that hails from the Sindh province of southeastern Pakistan. Cluster beans, drumsticks, lotus root, and curry leaves are worth tracking down and can be purchased at South Asian groceries; if you can’t find one (or a couple) of those vegetables, simply toss in whatever produce you have on hand in roughly equal quantities.

Featured in “Finding Family History in a Big Bowl of Curry,” by Rooksana Hossenally.

Yield: 6

Time: 1 hour 34 minutes

Vegetable oil, for frying
10–12 okra (13 oz.), tops discarded, slit down the middle
1 small cauliflower (1 lb.), cut into florets
1 medium eggplant (14 oz.), cubed
2 lotus roots (1 lb. 3 oz.), cut into ½-in. pieces
¾ cup gram (chickpea) flour
1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp. Kashmiri chile powder, or to taste
½ tsp. ground turmeric
2 medium green chiles, such as serrano, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. chunks
10–12 cluster beans (1 lb.), trimmed
½ cup peas, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp. tamarind paste, thinned with 2 Tbsp. of water and strained
2 drumsticks, aka moringa (13 oz.), cut into 1-in. pieces
¼ tsp. asafoetida
¼ tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. whole fenugreek seeds
10–12 curry leaves
Boondi (optional) and coarsely chopped cilantro, for garnish
Steamed rice, for serving

Instructions

To a large pot set over medium-high heat, add ¼ cup of oil. When it’s shimmering and hot, add the okra and fry, adding more oil as needed, until lightly browned, 3–5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with the cauliflower, followed by the eggplant. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, then add the lotus root and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
To the large pot, add oil as needed to reach about ¼ cup, then turn the heat to medium. Add the gram flour and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 3–5 minutes. Stirring continuously, gradually add 6 cups of water. Stir in the salt, chile powder, turmeric, chiles, and tomato and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the tomato begins to break down, about 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the cluster beans and continue to cook until the potatoes and beans are almost tender, about 2 minutes more. Add the reserved lotus root, cauliflower, eggplant, and okra; the peas; tamarind; and drumsticks and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, 5–7 minutes. (If the curry looks too thick, add water to loosen.)
Meanwhile, make the tarka: To a small pan set over medium heat, add ¼ cup of oil, the asafoetida, and cumin seeds and cook until barely fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add the fenugreek and curry leaves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
Immediately pour the tarka over the curry and stir to combine. To serve, ladle the sindhi kadhi into bowls, then sprinkle with cilantro and boondi if desired, and accompany with rice.

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Natto with Grated Daikon

Nancy Singleton Hachisu — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 18:45:00 +0000

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AYA BRACKETT. REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF PHAIDON

Natto has diehard fans, but some people cannot get past the thick whipped-up threads surrounding the beans. Here, the natto is not aerated, and the spicy wetness of grated daikon helps mitigate the fermented funkiness, rendering the dish much more widely appealing and a tasty, healthy bite to start the day.

Try to source natto made locally rather than in Japan; imported natto is typically frozen for shipping and loses some of its unusual delicacy. (We like the New York-make NYrture brand—look for it in local specialty stores or online.) Konbu dashi is easy to make from scratch, and a batch can be used to make a variety of vegetarian Japanese dishes.

This recipe is adapted from Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook and was featured in “This 1-Ingredient No-Cook Stock is at the Heart of Japanese Vegetarian Cooking.”

Yield: 4

Time: 22 minutes

2 Tbsp. konbu dashi
2 tsp. sake
2 tsp. hon mirin
1 tsp. usukuchi shoyu
¾ cup (6 oz.) small-bean natto
⅔ cup (3½ oz.) finely grated daikon

Instructions

In a small pot over medium heat, bring the konbu dashi, sake, and mirin to a simmer. Stir in the usukuchi shoyu, pour into a small glass measuring cup, and set aside until just barely warm, about 10 minutes.
Divide the natto among four miso soup bowls. Spoon the grated daikon over one half of the natto in each bowl. Add the cooled dashi and serve.

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Cold Tofu with Cucumber Vinegar

Nancy Singleton Hachisu — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 18:45:00 +0000

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AYA BRACKETT. REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF PHAIDON

Serving cold tofu as a light side dish for a summer meal is a popular method for combatting the hot, humid weather in Japan. Here the cucumber vinegar is an especially refreshing and tasty dressing for the tofu, but also could be combined with lightly roasted sesame oil or fruity olive oil as a dressing for summer tomatoes. Konbu dashi is easy to make from scratch, and a batch can be used to make a variety of vegetarian Japanese dishes.

This recipe is adapted from Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook and was featured in “This 1-Ingredient No-Cook Stock is at the Heart of Japanese Vegetarian Cooking.”

Yield: 4

Time: 10 minutes

2 small Japanese cucumbers (5¼ oz.)
¼ cup konbu dashi
2 tsp. shoyu
2 tsp. rice vinegar
10½ oz. silken tofu, cut into 4 squares

Instructions

Finely grate the cucumber and scrape into a small bowl. Stir in the dashi, shoyu, and vinegar. Place each square of cold tofu on a small saucer and spoon the dressing onto the center of each square. Serve cold.

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This One-Ingredient No-Cook Stock Is at the Heart of Japanese Vegetarian Cooking

Nancy Singleton Hachisu — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 18:45:00 +0000

Getty Images

Konbu, or edible kelp, is ubiquitous across Japanese cuisine, and it’s arguably the most essential flavor base in the country’s vegetarian dishes. Cooked over low heat (or steeped overnight in cool water), it becomes konbu dashi, a versatile soup stock that brings the seaweed’s savory, briny flavor to countless Japanese specialties, from soups and stews to simple vegetarian sides. A pot of konbu dashi can unlock a wide variety of plant-based possibilities.

Species of Konbu

Though there are 18 edible species of konbu, four types are most common: ma-konbu, Rausu konbu, Rishiri konbu, and Hidaka konbu.

Ma-konbu is mainly produced along the Hakodate coast of Hokkaido. These thick, wide strands are generally regarded as the best-quality Japanese konbu—it has an elegant sweetness and makes a clear yet rich dashi.
Rausu konbu is harvested along the coast adjacent to the town of Rausu at the northern tip of Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula. The strands are a soft brown, with a lovely fragrance, producing a yellow- tinged, yet aromatic, rich dashi.
Rishiri konbu is gathered along the coasts of Rishiri Island and Rebun Island off the northwestern coast of Hokkaido. The strands are firm and slightly salty, yielding a clear, gentle-flavored dashi, prized for high-level, elegant cuisine.
Hidaka konbu is produced along the Hidaka coastal area of southern Hokkaido. The soft strands are a dark blackish green with an appealing viscosity when simmered. Hidaka konbu is perhaps the most readily found konbu in Japan and abroad. It makes a good traditional dashi, but is most suitable for konbu-maki (konbu rolls), tsukudani (sweet shoyu-simmered preserve), or other dishes in which the konbu is simmered.

How Konbu Is Harvested

Konbu gathering is tightly controlled by the local Japan Fisheries Cooperative Associations, and is only allowed during a six-week period from around July 21 through August 31. The season starts slowly, with gathering restricted to a short couple of hours three days a week, eventually extending to a five-hour period.

Konbu is harvested by fishermen who motor out in small boats over vast undersea kelp forests close to shore. The fisherman thrusts a long, hooked pole into the roots of the kelp, then wrenches up the heavy strands into a large pile on his boat.

The konbu is then hauled off the boat to a washing area before being spread on the pebbled beach to dry. The drying process is crucial and involves many steps. The kelp is turned once and, after about half a day, brought inside while it is still pliant. Finally, the konbu is sun-dried before being stored in a large, airtight, zippered storage room.

The Future of Konbu

Despite environmental precautions and restrictions, konbu harvests have been steadily declining due to ocean pollution and climate change. In 2019 only 13,000 tons of kelp were harvested, compared with 38,000 in 1990; the price of konbu has doubled in the last five years. Konbu extinction is a very real possibility, and the highest-quality varieties have already become quite difficult (and pricey) to obtain. Thankfully for home cooks, gnarled or lower-grade konbu still produces flavorful dashi, so do not despair.

How To Make Konbu Dashi

To make konbu dashi, first source the best-quality konbu you can find. (There’s no need to wipe off the white substance, which is called mannitol, that forms on the konbu—it’s harmless and contains a lot of umami.) Break an approximately six-inch-by two-inch piece of konbu in half, then place it in a small pot with one quart of cold water. Set aside to soak for three hours, then place the pot on the stovetop and turn the heat to low. Cook just until steam rises from the water and small bubbles form on the konbu, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature before straining out the konbu and using the dashi. (The leftover konbu can be used to make a variety of dishes, like konbu tsukudani, or simmered konbu.) This process makes about 3½ cups of konbu dashi.

If you have time, you can also skip the stovetop process and simply soak the konbu overnight in the refrigerator and use the cold stock straight from the fridge. Or, if you are in a hurry, skip the preliminary soak, but still cook the konbu (just be sure to cool for at least 30 minutes before using).

Recipe

Mountain Yam with Vinegared Sesame Sauce

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AYA BRACKETT. REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF PHAIDON

Get the recipe >

Natto with Grated Daikon

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AYA BRACKETT. REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF PHAIDON

Get the recipe >

Cold Tofu with Cucumber Vinegar

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AYA BRACKETT. REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF PHAIDON

Get the recipe >

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Mountain Yam with Vinegared Sesame Sauce

Nancy Singleton Hachisu — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 18:45:00 +0000

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AYA BRACKETT. REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF PHAIDON

Mountain yam aficionados love its viscosity when finely grated, but for the uninitiated, fresh julienned pieces are an excellent way to enjoy the crisp texture of the tuber. In this mountain yam recipe with vinegared sesame sauce, the rich dressing balances beautifully with the delicately flavored vegetable.

When cutting mountain yam, place a clean cloth atop the cutting board, so the slippery pieces don’t slide around as you julienne. To counteract the itchy properties of mountain yam, wash your hands and forearms with warm soapy water after handling.

Konbu dashi is easy to make from scratch, and a batch can be used to make a variety of vegetarian Japanese dishes. Look for white sesame paste at your local Japanese market, or online. Different brands of sesame paste have varying consistencies, so you may need to add more konbu dashi to make the sauce pourable.

This recipe is adapted from Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook and was featured in “This 1-Ingredient No-Cook Stock is at the Heart of Japanese Vegetarian Cooking.”

Yield: 4

Time: 20 minutes

One 4¾-in. piece mountain yam, scrubbed
2 Tbsp. Japanese white sesame paste
1 Tbsp. konbu dashi, plus more as needed
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. shoyu
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. black sesame seeds

Instructions

Peel the mountain yam; halve crosswise, then slice both cylinders lengthwise into thin slabs. Cut the slabs lengthwise into ½-inch-wide pieces. Divide the mountain yam among four small, shallow bowls, arranging them in stacks.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame paste, konbu dashi, rice vinegar, shoyu, and sugar. Spoon the sauce evenly atop the mountain yam and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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Laabify Your Life

Pailin Chongchitnant — Mon, 01 May 2023 03:32:44 +0000

Photography by Belle Morizio

This recipe is brought to you by the SAVEUR Cookbook Club, our passionate community of food-loving readers from around the globe celebrating our favorite authors and recipes. Join us as we cook through cookbooks new and old, and share your food pics and vids on social media with the hashtags #SAVEURCookbookClub and #EatTheWorld.

Cookbook author and host of the YouTube channel Pailin’s Kitchen, Pailin Chongchitnant believes that you can laabify anything—from last night’s pork roast to slivers of this morning’s omelette to a cup or two of vegetables, saved from the crisper drawer. Tart, spicy, and fresh, Chongchitnant’s “leftover anything” laab recipe is also guaranteed to “fix” lackluster proteins like dry Thanksgiving turkey, the overcooked ends of roast beef, and under seasoned baked or fried tofu.

Laab is usually served with Thai-style sticky rice, which you can learn how to make here, or you can swap it out for steamed jasmine rice. If you’re taking it easy on carbs, you can leave the rice out entirely and instead wrap up scoops of laab in soft lettuce leaves. Roasting whole dried chiles before grinding them to flakes or powder is a popular technique in Thai cooking. Make your own or look for roasted chile flakes at your local Southeast Asian grocery store.

This recipe is adapted from Pailin Chongchitnant’s cookbook Sabai: 100 Simple Thai Recipes for Any Day of the Week.

Yield: 4

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the laab:

1 Tbsp. uncooked jasmine or Thai sticky rice
5 oz. leftover cooked meat and/or vegetables
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Pinch sugar
Roasted chile flakes (store-bought or homemade)
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced shallots
Handful fresh mint, Thai basil, cilantro, and other fresh herbs

For serving:

English cucumber, sliced
Sticky rice or jasmine rice
Romaine or butter lettuce

Instructions

To a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, add the rice and cook, stirring continuously, until the rice is evenly dark brown. (Don’t walk away from the stove; the rice may start to smoke, so make sure the kitchen is well ventilated.) Transfer the toasted rice to a plate to cool, then transfer to a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder and pulverize to a medium-fine powder with a few larger pieces for texture. Set aside.
Thinly slice, chop, or shred your leftovers into small pieces. Decide how best to process depending on the ingredient: Poultry and braised pork is best shredded; beef, pork chops and tenderloin, and egg is best thinly sliced; most vegetables are best coarsely chopped. If cold, heat the leftovers slightly so they are just barely warm or at room temperature (you can do this in the microwave or give them a quick sauté in a skillet.)
In a medium bowl, stir together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chile flakes, and shallots, until the sugar is nearly dissolved. Add the leftovers, reserved toasted rice powder, and the fresh herbs and toss to coat in the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste with more fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chile flakes. Serve the laab warm or at room temperature with sliced cucumber, rice, and lettuce leaves on the side.

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