Crispy rice salad with fermented pork is known as Nam clook or Khao tod nam clook in Thai. Also known as Nam khao in Lao, the dish features deep fried red curry rice balls mixed with basic Thai seasoning ingredients. These ingredients include fish sauce, lime juice, chilli, fried peanuts, sliced ginger, chopped coriander, spring onion and pork skin. Of course there is always the most special ingredient, fermented pork.
This dish is among the most famous rice dishes available from street vendors in Thailand. Outside Thailand I have seen the dish more frequently in Lao restaurants than in Thai restaurants. Many people consider the dish as an appetiser, but for me it could also be the perfect main dish.
Nam clook has a nice balance of spicy, salty, and sour with a wonderful texture of crispness from the rice, peanut and dried chilli. The dish is best served alongside fresh salad leaves such as betel leaf and lettuce. Continue reading “Crispy Rice Salad with Fermented Pork Recipe: Nam Khao”
Banana trees are humble trees that play a role in many occasions in Thai life. For example, you may remember at my sister’s wedding there was a platter decorated with beautiful folded banana leaves included in the ceremony. Also, when people build a new house, a banana tree is placed to decorate the major pole. Do you know a Thai famous festival is “Loi Krathong”, a festival of lights to pay respect to the river on a full moon night in 12th month? Krathong are made from a piece of banana trunk decorated with flowers, banana leaves, candle and incense sticks.
