Vegetarian Thai Larb and Cabbage Cups
These. Are. Incredible. Like, one of my favorite recipes ever, no lie. And, vegetarian friendly! Normally, this dish is made with pork or chicken. But, I substituted it out with a blend of tofu and mushrooms. You can use one or the other or both, like me! This was able to be thrown together in probably about 30 minutes. It was simple and soooo delicious.
This is one of those recipes where you forget that it's like.. healthy. It's hand held. It's interactive. There are lots of fresh herbs so it's refreshing with a hint of spicy. You can adjust the spice level for you! With the addition of a tiny bit of brown sugar and lime, it's a well rounded dish for your palate. If you are craving some starch, add a side of sticky rice on the side.
The coolest part about this dish, that you CAN NOT forget, is the addition of ground toasted sticky rice. This little ingredient changes the dish. It adds a little bit of a crunch and another level of flavor for your palate. It also absorbs liquid so you're not dripping all over your shirt as you eat with your hands.. you're welcome :)
Alriiiiiiight, let's cook!
Vegetarian Thai Larb and Cabbage Cups
1 head cabbage
1/2 c ground toasted sticky rice, or any rice
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup tofu, crumbled
1 cup mushroom, small diced
a couple of pinches of salt and pepper
2 limes, juiced separately
1-2 shallots, diced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon chili powder or red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
handful of mint, chopped
2-3 scallions, chopped
1. To make ground toasted sticky rice, toast the rice in a dry pan on high heat until yellow. Place in a food processor, blender or use a mortar and pestle to grind by hand (picture above).
2. Peel cabbage full leafs. To make it easier to separate, cut the core out and boil the entire head of cabbage for about 5 minutes in water. Set aside.
3. Add oil, tofu, mushrooms, salt, pepper, juice of 1 lime, onions. Saute until slightly browned and onions are fragrant.
4. To make sauce, combine soy sauce, brown sugar chili powder and 1 lime. Add sauce to tofu and mushroom mixture. Add ground sticky rice, fresh chopped herbs and serve!