Healthier Nam Khao, Lao Crispy Rice Recipe

Crispy Rice Salad or Nam Khao, is one of my favorite things to find on a menu at a Thai restaurant. It's fried and has some pork in it so there are some things I would like to change though. This recipe makes making your street food favorite at home easier and healthier.

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Background content: This is a recipe that came from Laos but is so popular it's commonly found in Thai restaurants and from Thai street vendors.

This was inspired by a recipe by Saeng's Kitchen, and pairs well with this amazing tofu side dish recipe. It's a dish that goes well with anything though, browse our appetizer/side dish category for ideas.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• FAQ
• Healthier Crispy Rice, Nam Khao Salad Recipe
• Food safety
• To do:

Ingredients

We adapted our ingredients to what we wanted and so can you. We would love to see what you come up with in the comments section. You can print the recipe below and just check the ingredients off your list.

• Long Grain Thai Jasmine Rice
• Coconut Flakes
• Chicken Sausage
• Water
• Egg Whites
• Red Curry Paste
• Chives or Lime Leaves
• Fish Sauce
• Stevia or honey
• Lime Juice
• Cilantro
• Green Onions
• Dried Thai Pepper
• Canola Oil
• Sweet Bok Choy
• Peanuts

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

First, you will want to cook the rice with the water and put it in the fridge for about an hour. I put it in the refrigerator overnight so it was ready to go the next day.

Second, mix the egg white, red curry paste, and stevia or honey.

Third, In a large bowl, combine the eggs and curry mixture with the rice, coconut and lime leaves, and or chives

Mix It All Together Well

In a large wok or skillet, heat the canola oil and add in the dried Thai peppers.

Form the rice into patties or balls and add to the oil, using a spatula.

Allow to cook until crispy and remove into a large salad-type bowl with a spatula or spoon with holes to drain off the fattening oil.

Use the spatula to crunch the crispy rice apart into small pieces and add in the fish sauce.

Add in the rest of the ingredients.

Serve over lettuce or bok choy, garnished with limes, chilis, and peanuts.

Hint: Having all the ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking this recipe is very important to make it hot and delicious.

Substitutions

If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.

• Kinds of Rice - I used a long grain of jasmine rice but you can use whatever you have. Shorter white varieties turn into sugar more quickly.
• Fish Sauce - Some people are turned off by the fishy odor of fish sauce, you can use soy sauce instead or just leave it out.
• Vegetarian - Using tofu or fake meat varieties and then also leaving out the fish sauce makes it vegetarian. Always double-check the ingredients of your ingredients if you want to avoid all animal products.

Variations

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish
• Deluxe - add fried shallots or onions on top with some different types of protein like shrimp or crab.
• Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips or bacon bits

Equipment

The key to this recipe for me was this long slotted spatula, for retrieving the crispy rice. The way I did it, it didn't clump as well as the traditional recipe does. Here is an affiliate link to purchase the long slotted spatula.

Storage

These ingredients refrigerate for a few days and actually soak up some of the sauce better. Not sure how it freezes, let me know if you try it. When it comes to freshness when in doubt, throw it out.

FAQ

Food safety

We sometimes take for granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. When in doubt, check it out if you have concerns.

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.