Thai Laab (Larb) with Tofu

three thai laab salad lettuce cups on a plate next to a small bowl of chilis.

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This Thai Laab (Larb) with Tofu showcases all the vibrant flavor of laab—a ground meat salad from northeastern Thailand and Laos—but skips the meat. Featuring crisp-chewy tofu, aromatic lemongrass and shallots, and a fresh, tangy, bright dressing.

Prep Time25

Cook Time25

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Laotian, Thai

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

2 ½ tablespoons (32g) Thai sticky rice (aka white glutinous rice) (OR white jasmine rice, see Note 1)

Tofu and aromatics

16 ounces (454g) super firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons (28g) neutral flavored oil, separated
Kosher salt
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (~ 2 oz / 55g once sliced)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (optional if using lemongrass and lime leaves)
2 stalks fresh lemongrass (see Note 2)

Dressing

4 fresh makrut lime leaves (OR 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, see Note 3)
3 ½ tablespoons (52 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
½ to 2 teaspoons Thai chili flakes (or fresh chilies, see Note 4)
2 ½ tablespoons (38 mL) vegan fish sauce (see Note 5 for sub)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Finishing

¼ cup tightly packed (6g) fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 handful (6 to 8g) cilantro leaves, chopped
3 to 4 scallions, bruised tops trimmed and thinly sliced (optional)

For serving

Cooked sticky rice (or other white rice)
Fresh crunchy vegetables such as lettuce leaves, wedges of green cabbage, sliced cucumbers or snap peas
Lime wedges

Instructions

Toast the rice. Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat for 1 ½ to 2 minutes (for jasmine rice, you can use medium heat). Add the rice and stir frequently.
Once it starts to turn color, stir constantly until deeply golden brown with a toasty popcorn-like aroma, 7 to 10 minutes.
If it starts to smoke a lot, reduce the heat (common with sticky rice). Transfer to a bowl to stop cooking.
Grind the rice. Once the rice has cooled, transfer to an electric spice grinder/coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle and grind into a coarse powder.
If using an electric grinder, it'll only be a few seconds–you still want some texture. If using a mortar and pestle, it will require some arm power and 4 to 5 minutes.
Prep the lemongrass. Peel away the papery outer layers and slice off the top part of the stalks until you have just the tender bottom section. Pound the lemongrass with a rolling pin or other heavy tool to lightly break it up and release aroma.
With the tender inner core, chop it very finely or mince; store with the garlic.
Prep the lime leaves. Fold the leaves in half to strip out the center vein, then fold up the leaves and mince as finely as you can (like chiffonading basil very finely).
Prep the tofu. Crumble the tofu into very small pieces with your hands, about the size of a blueberry.
Cook the tofu. Return the frying pan to medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then add 1 ½ tablespoons (21g) of oil.
Add the crumbled tofu with a pinch of salt. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes to allow some browning. Cook for a total of about 10 minutes, stirring only every 1 ½ minutes, until golden brown in most spots.
Note: If the tofu starts to char, reduce the heat to medium.
Transfer the tofu to a large bowl and allow the pan to cool off a bit.
Saute the aromatics. Return the frying pan to medium heat and add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil. Add the shallots and season with a pinch of salt.
Stir frequently for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and lemongrass and stir frequently for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the smell of raw garlic cooks off.
Transfer to the bowl of cooked tofu.
Assemble. To the cooked tofu mixture, add 2 tablespoons (24g) of the toasted rice powder, the minced lime leaves (or lime zest), lime juice, chili flakes, fish sauce (or lesser amount of soy sauce), and the sugar. Toss well to coat the tofu.
Taste, adding more lime juice for brightness, more fish sauce for savory saltiness, more rice powder for toasty crunch, or more sugar for balance.
Fold in the mint, cilantro, and scallions if using. Season to taste with salt as needed. If desired, mix in more toasted rice powder.
Serve with cooked rice for scooping and fresh veggies/lime wedges on the side.

Notes

While sticky rice is traditionally used in Thailand/Laos, you can use jasmine rice with great results. This will yield a bit more rice powder than you need, but I like to have extra in case you want to season with more to taste, or you can save it in a ziploc bag for up to 1 week. As a shortcut, you can also purchase roasted rice powder at some Asian markets.
If you can’t find lemongrass, just omit it. Or, if you have powdered lemongrass, try adding ½ to 1 teaspoon to the sauce.
Fresh makrut lime leaves are sold at Southeast Asian grocery stores and some larger Asian grocers (e.g., H Mart). They may be sold frozen sometimes.
If using Thai chili flakes, start slowly, then add more to taste; 2 tsp is quite spicy! As a sub, you can use other Asian chili flakes, such as Sichuan chili flakes (or gochugaru for mild heat). Or use 1 to 3 teaspoons of finely minced fresh chilies, such as birds’ eye, serrano, or jalapeños–3 teaspoons will be fairly spicy.
If you don't have access to vegan fish sauce, use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or tamari).

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