Laos style crispy rice salad

By: Kristy Wright

Crispy Rice balls ingredients:* 4 cups cooked jasmine rice* 2 tablespoon Thai red curry paste* 2 cloves garlic (minced)* 3 kaffir lime leaves thinly sliced* 4 teaspoons sugar* 4 teaspoons fish sauce* 1 cup Shredded coconut* 1 egg* 1tbsp cornflour* 2spring onion stalks chopped* Oil for deep frying
Nuoc Cham Dressing ingredients:* 2 tablespoons fish sauce* ⅓ cup hot water* 2 ½ tablespoons sugar* ½ small lemon juiced* 1 ½ tablespoon rice vinegar * 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)* 1 red birdseye chili (finely chopped
Salad topping ingredients: *2 cups mixed loose lettuce leaves* Handful of Fresh mint* Handful of Thai basil* Handful of coriander * 1/2 cup Whole roasted peanuts* 2x Spring onions (sliced)* 2 x birdseye chili peppers* 1/2 lemon sliced* Handful of shredded coconut

Making Crispy Rice balls:* Mix the curry paste, coconut, garlic, thin sliced kaffir lime leaves, sugar, fish sauce and egg in a large bowl. Then mix through the precooked rice. * Take a few tablespoons of the mixture and mould into a ball shape then flatten slightly to a disk shape. About the size of a small palm. Repeat for the remainder of the mix. * Heat oil over medium heat on the stove. Once hot, carefully add the rice balls (in batches) to the oil and cook for about 6 minutes or until crunchy and golden. * Remove from oil and drain and cool on a rack.
Making Nuoc Cham Dressing:* Combine the sugar and boiling water and mix to dissolve. Add the remaining ingredients (fish sauce, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar and chilli) and mix. Adjust as needed to balance the salty, sour and sweetness)
Preparing salad: * Once the rice balls have cooled enough to handle, crumble the balls into a bowl. * Top with lettuce leaves, chopped spring onion, herbs (coriander, mint, Thai basil) peanuts, sliced chilli, lemon slices and a sprinkle of shredded coconut. * Serve drizzled with Nuoc Cham Dressing. Enjoy!