Laos Foods Recipes

The video shows the raw /fresh lap shrimp and the cooked lap shrimp. Not all lap recipes must have mint so in one recipe, I use cilantro. Lap is the national dish of Laos

The cucumber salad video introduces the Crab Extract. You can use this crab extract to make jeow ga boo which is a traditional sticky rice dipping sauce. Also the crab extract is a popular ingredient in the long bean noodle salad and the green papaya salad to give the sauce a dark colour. You can mix the cucumber salad with vermicelli noodles but in my video, I mix it with ground toasted sticky rice.

For every Lao and Thai traditional meal, there must be a dipping sauce, also known as 'jeow'. This jeow ba dek is the most traditional and that is why I call it the Lao National Dipping Sauce. Other versions of this traditional Thai and Lao dipping sauce : For 'jeow ga be' use shrimp paste instead of salted gourami fish For 'jeow ga boo' use crab paste instead of salted gourami fish For 'jeow bee' add 1 tablespoon of gall bladder and mix with any dipping sauces to give the sauce a bitter flavour Jeow Ba Dek ½ teaspoon chopped lemongrass ½ teaspoon chopped galangal ½ teaspoon chopped garlic 1 chopped kaffer lime leaf 2 tablespoons chopped or minced salted gourami fish (ba dek) 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional) 3 tablespoons lime juice In a Thai / Lao Mortar & Pestle Set pound lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and lime leaf until smooth. Add minced salted gourami fish and squeezed lime. Mix and serve with sticky rice and jasmine rice

Here is my personal recipe for the curry peanut dipping sauce. I made it up using common Thai and Lao ingredients. Please note that the paprika is a common ingredient in the Khao Bune fish curry broth to give the broth a radiant red colour. Vegetarian Recipe: Curry Peanut Dipping Sauce 1 tablespoon oil ½ tablespoon chopped garlic 1 tablespoon chopped shallots or onions 1 cup fresh coconut milk 1 kaffir lime leaf 2 sprigs lemongrass 1 tablespoon Thai Lao Curry Paste ¼ cup chopped tomatoes ½ cup ground peanuts 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon chopped chilies (optional) 1 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons squeezed lime juice In a wok over medium heat, add oil, chopped garlic and shallots. Stir until shallots are soft. Add remaining ingredients and stir fry for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat. Discard the lemongrass and lime leaf. Serve sauce with fresh spring rolls or shrimp chips.

Thai pho is called 'Guoi Tiao' so when in Laos, ask for 'Pho' and when in Thailand, ask for 'Guoi Tiao'. This beef noodle soup is the most popular soup in Laos and Thailand. I like to make this soup on new years and weekends because it requires low preparation time, the broth simmers all day, and guests help themselves. People from the northern region of Laos prefer khao soy which is with minced pork and salted soy beans noodle soup. Khao soy uses wide pho noodles. For 12 years, everytime I craved pho, would order it at restaurants and was never quite satisfied of the taste. I find the pho soups at restaurants have too much fat and not enough meat, vegetables, herbs and sauce options. Since my parents taught me, I make my own at home and for the price of one pho soup bowl, I could feed a family of 6. You can stir fry pho noodles to make Pad Thai Pho Noodles. Do not substitute vermicelli noodles for pho noodles. The star anis can also be added to dome kim w...

The host of a Lao gathering who calls for a celebration like a birthdays, weddings, new years and Christmas will serve khao bune soup. Khao Bune soup is traditionally made with either fish or pork and I've given you the fish recipe. If you are serving this soup to Thai or Lao guests they will help themselves so serve the garnish, herbs and sauce in a baffet style. Any left over shredded banana blossoms, shredded red cabbage, Thai basil, and Vermicelli noodle bundles may be rolled into making spring rolls made with rice paper. For non Thai and Lao guests, I recommend having the individual bowls ready with noodles, garnish and herb. When everyone is at the dinner table, pour the broth into the bowls, add squeezed lime juice and fish sauce. Let the guests mix the soup. Soup Recipe: Khao Bune Fish Broth 2 lbs grouper or any fresh water white fish like cat fish 2 litres cold water 1 inch galangal 3 kaffir lime leaf 2 inches lemongrass 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons chopped...

I have described how banana leaves are used to make khao dome. Well, banana blossoms or 'mak bea' are used to make unto a salad, added as a filling for rice paper spring rolls, and used to as a garnish for khao bune ba - fish curry noodle soup. Salad Recipe: Mak Bea – Banana Blossom 1 cup shredded banana blossom ½ teaspoon chopped garlic ½ teaspoon chopped chilies 1 tablespoon squeezed lime 1 tablespoon fish sauce ½ cup chopped green onions and cilantro In a bowl, add 3 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of squeezed lime. Shred finely, in an angle, of only the purple layers of the banana blossom. Place the shredded banana blossoms into lime water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain water out. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and toss to make the Mak Bea Salad. .

In northern Thailand and Laos, green papaya salads are mixed with salted fish. Another reason for posting this video is to show you how to mix vermicelli noodle with green papaya salads and long bean salads. Since the fibers of long beans are tougher than green papayas, you must crush the long beans with garlic and chilies until they are in small pieces before adding other ingredients. Salad Recipe: Long Bean Noodle with Ba Dek 4 chilies 1 clove garlic 1 cup long beans chopped into 1 inch lengths 1/4 cup tomato slices 2 tablespoons squeezed lime 2 tablespoons Salted Gourami Fish (ba dek) 1 teaspoon sugar (optional) 1 teaspoon MSG (optional) 1 to 2 rice noodle bundles (Sin Khao Bune) Using the Thai / Lao Mortar & Pestle Set, crush chilies and garlic until they are separated. Add chopped long beans and crush with a pestle for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients in the mortar and mix all the ingredients. Cut rice noodles in half, add into mortar, and mix with spoo...

The recipe describes how fish stuffed in Thai and Lao herbs can be baked, steamed in banana leaves or grilled over a barbecue. Although Thai and Lao people would steam or grill the fish, in my video, I baked a red snapper fish. Barbecue Recipe : Fish stuffed with Thai & Lao herbs 1 tablespoon chopped lime kaffir leaf 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass 1 tablespoon chopped galanga 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 3 tablespoons chopped green onions 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons squeezed lime 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 red snapper or any white flesh fish Sprinkle of salt In a small bowl mix, Thai and Lao herbs with squeezed lime and fish sauce. Rinse fish under cold water to remove any debris. Cut the sides of fish. Sprinkle salt and rub into fish. Stuff fish with Thai Lao herbs. To bake, place in the oven in 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, flip and bake for another twenty minutes. To steam, wrap in banana leaves and steam for 40 minutes. To barbeque, plac...

The basic ingredients of the Lap Chicken is the same as Lap Lao Beef. However the method of preparing and cooking chicken is different from beef. You can mince chicken by using a food processor or you can view the video and learn how to mince meat by using a knife. Salad Recipe: Lap Chicken 2 cups minced chicken meat 1 inch piece of galanga 1 inch piece of lemongrass 1 kaffir lime leaf 1 tablespoon salt 3 cups water 1 chili chopped 1 kaffir lime leaf chopped 1 teaspoon chopped galanga 1 teaspoon chopped lemongrass 3 tablespoons chopped mint 2 tablespoons chopped green onions 2-3 tablespoons squeezed lime 2-3 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon ground toasted sticky rice ½ cup bean sprouts In a medium pot add water, salt, galanga, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaf and bring to boil. Place minced chicken into a bowl and add hot water. Leave hot water in bowl for 1 minute and stir to separate chicken chunks, then drain water from the chicken. Repeat process of adding ho...

Lap Lao is the national food dish of Laos. It is like a salad dish with meat and Thai Lao herbs tossed together. You can make Lap Chicken, fish, and shrimp. The mint and the Ground Toasted Sticky Rice are the two ingredients that must be in all lap Lao dishes. Salad Recipe: Lap Lao Beef 1 cup thinly sliced beef that is barbecued to medium rare ¼ cup thinly sliced tripe (optional) ½ teaspoon chopped galangal 1 chili chopped 1 tablespoon chopped green onions 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 2 tablespoon chopped mint 1 kaffir lime leaf ½ teaspoon chopped lemongrass 2 -3 tablespoon fish sauce 2 -3 tablespoon squeezed lime ½ teaspoon MSG (optional) 1 tablespoon Ground Toasted Sticky Rice Serve Lap Lao beef with sticky rice or Khao Chow which is jasmine rice . A lot of chopping is involved but the hard work is worth it. Also watch the Lap Chicken video.

The most popular salad dishes is the Green Papaya salad. I like it spicy--5 chilies at least! On the first bite your tongue should experience extreme heat, salt, sour and sweet all at once. It is invigrating! If its too spicy chew on water lily greens To make green papaya noodle salad: Double the amount of fish sauce, shrimp paste, lime, sugar and dried shrimp in the mortar. Dish the green papaya salad into a bowl and toss with sin khao bune (rice noodle) before serving. Watch the video of the long bean noodle salad recipe to see how to incorporate the rice noodles. Salad Recipe: Green Papaya Salad 1-4 chilies 1 garlic cloves 3 cups shredded green papaya (watch video: Shredding Green Papaya) 1/2 cup sliced tomatoes 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon shrimp paste 3 tablespoons squeezed lime 1 tablespoon sugar (optional) 2 tablespoons dried shrimp (optional) Using the Thai / Lao Mortar & Pestle Set, crush chilies and garlic until they are separated. Add the rest of t...