Thai Larb-Style Lime Dressing with Toasted Rice Powder

Name: Thai Larb-Style Lime Dressing with Toasted Rice Powder
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 23 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons (40 g) uncooked glutinous (sticky) rice, raw, dry; jasmine rice works if needed; ⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lime juice, freshly squeezed and strained of seeds; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fish sauce; 1 tablespoon (15 g) palm sugar, finely chopped or shaved, packed; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) warm water, hot from the tap; 2 teaspoons (4 g) Thai chili flakes (or crushed red pepper flakes), toasted if desired; use 1 teaspoon for mild; 2 tablespoons (20 g) shallot, very thinly sliced, then roughly chopped; 1 small clove (3 g) garlic clove, finely grated; 2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh mint leaves, finely shredded just before serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bright, salty-sour-spicy Thai dressing in the nam jim family, built like the seasoning for larb. Nutty toasted rice powder gives body and aroma. Toss it with grilled meat, tofu, cucumbers, or crisp lettuce.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 8 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 38 min
Makes: About ¾ cup (180 ml), enough for 6 servings

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the toasted rice powder
3 tablespoons (40 g) uncooked glutinous (sticky) rice, raw, dry; jasmine rice works if needed
For the dressing
⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lime juice, freshly squeezed and strained of seeds
3 tablespoons (45 ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (15 g) palm sugar, finely chopped or shaved, packed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) warm water, hot from the tap
2 teaspoons (4 g) Thai chili flakes (or crushed red pepper flakes), toasted if desired; use 1 teaspoon for mild
2 tablespoons (20 g) shallot, very thinly sliced, then roughly chopped
1 small clove (3 g) garlic clove, finely grated
2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh mint leaves, finely shredded just before serving (optional)

Equipment (5)

Small dry skillet, 8-inch (20 cm)
Mortar and pestle or spice grinder
Small bowl or jar, at least 1-cup (240 ml) capacity
Fine-mesh strainer
Measuring spoons and a small whisk or fork

Steps

Before you start

Squeeze the limes fresh, because bottled juice tastes flat and bitter here. You need about 4 to 5 limes.
Palm sugar is sold as hard discs or soft paste. Shave or chop it finely so it dissolves quickly.
Toast the rice in a dry pan with no oil. Keep your eyes on it, because it goes from golden to burnt quickly.
Fish sauce brands differ in saltiness. Start with the amount listed, then adjust at the end.

1
Toast the rice
- Place the sticky rice in a dry 8-inch (20 cm) skillet over medium-low heat.
- Stir or swirl constantly for 6 to 8 minutes, until the grains turn deep golden brown and smell nutty and toasty.
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Ready when: Grains are evenly deep golden brown, with a few darker flecks, and smell like toasted nuts.
Tip: Do not walk away. Rice that goes dark brown or black tastes bitter, so start over if it scorches.
2
Cool the rice
- Tip the toasted rice onto a plate and spread it out.
- Let it cool for about 5 minutes, until no longer warm to the touch.
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Ready when: Grains feel room temperature and snap easily when pressed.
3
Grind to powder
- Grind the cooled rice in a mortar or spice grinder to a texture like coarse sand, with some grains still slightly gritty.
- You should have about 2 tablespoons of powder.
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Ready when: No whole grains remain, and the powder looks like coarse cornmeal.
Tip: Pulse a spice grinder in short bursts. Over-grinding makes a paste that turns gummy in the dressing.
4
Dissolve the sugar
- In a small bowl or jar, stir the palm sugar with the warm water for about 1 minute, pressing the sugar against the side with a spoon, until it fully dissolves and the liquid looks smooth.
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Ready when: No sugar granules are visible and the liquid is amber and clear.
Tip: If the sugar is stubborn, microwave for 10 seconds, then stir again.
5
Add the liquids
- Stir the lime juice and fish sauce into the sugar water.
- Whisk briefly to combine.
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Ready when: The mixture is uniform and smells sharply of lime and salt.
6
Add the aromatics
- Stir in the chili flakes, chopped shallot, and grated garlic.
- Mix well so the chili is evenly spread.
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Ready when: Shallot and chili flakes are suspended in the liquid.
Tip: Grate the garlic finely so it does not hit you with raw, harsh bites.
7
Rest and soften
- Let the dressing sit for 10 minutes at room temperature, so the chili hydrates and the shallot mellows.
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Ready when: Chili flakes look plump and the liquid has a deeper red tint.
8
Finish and balance
- Just before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons toasted rice powder and the mint, if using.
- Taste on a spoon or a lettuce leaf.
- Add a splash of lime if too salty or sweet, a few drops of fish sauce if flat, or more chili if you want heat.
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Ready when: The dressing tastes sour first, then salty, then spicy, with a nutty finish and a little sweetness.
Tip: Add the rice powder at the last minute. It soaks up liquid and thickens the dressing as it sits.

Good to know

Tips

Taste the dressing on the food you plan to dress, since meat and vegetables dilute the seasoning.
Use it as a classic larb dressing for 1 pound (450 g) of cooked ground chicken, pork, or crumbled tofu, plus extra herbs.
Bruise the mint lightly rather than chopping it fine, to keep it from turning dark.
For more heat, add 1 finely sliced bird's eye chili in place of some of the flakes.

Make ahead

"Make the dressing through the resting step up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it in a sealed jar. Toast and grind the rice up to 1 week ahead. Stir in the rice powder and mint just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Dressing without rice powder or mint keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature and shake before using. Toasted rice powder keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or in the freezer for 2 months. Once the rice powder is added, use the dressing within a few hours. Freezing the finished dressing is not recommended."

Substitutions

palm sugar → light brown sugar. Use the same amount. The flavor is slightly less caramel-like but works well.
fish sauce → light soy sauce plus a squeeze of extra lime. Use 2½ tablespoons soy sauce for a vegetarian version, though it won't taste the same.
uncooked glutinous (sticky) rice → jasmine rice. Toast it the same way. The powder is a little less nutty and slightly less sticky.
shallot → thinly sliced scallion whites. Use the same amount for a milder onion flavor.