Larb sandos

Sep 22 2022

There are a few different elements to these epic vegan sarnies by Mondo’s head chef Jack Macrae, but they're well worth the effort

Ingredients

2
garlic cloves, grated
1
red bird’s-eye chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
100
ml vegan fish sauce
5
limes, juiced (to make 60ml)
75
g caster sugar
1
tbsp red curry paste
300
g vegan mayonnaise
2
tbsp douchi (fermented salted black beans – available in most Asian specialist supermarkets or online)
Maggi Liquid Seasoning
3
tbsp Thai glutinous (sticky) rice
2
red onions, finely sliced
2
tbsp vegetable oil
5
round shallots, finely sliced
3
tbsp red curry paste
2
tbsp Maggi Liquid Seasoning
500
g vegan soy mince (defrosted if frozen)
thai basil, mint and coriander, roughly chopped
6
subs or jumbo hot dog rolls, warmed and split
1
Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated
½
cucumber, cut into batons
crispy shallots

Step 1
First, make the dressing. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl with 75ml of water, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Step 2
For the mayo, tip all the ingredients into a mini food processor or blender with 1 tbsp of water and blitz until smooth. Taste – it should be rich and savoury. Add a few more drops of Maggi if needed. Set aside.
Step 3
Tip the rice into a dry frying pan set over a medium heat and cook for 10 mins, stirring frequently, until golden brown and smelling toasty. Transfer to a spice grinder or high-powered blender and grind to a fine powder but not complete dust. Set aside. Put the onions in a large bowl, toss with 1 tsp of salt and leave to soften.
Step 4
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the shallots for 6-8 mins or until soft and golden. Add the curry paste and cook until fragrant, then add the Maggi and a splash of water. Stir in the soy mince and cook for 3-4 mins or until heated through. Remove from the heat and cool before mixing in the onions and herbs.
Step 5
To assemble, toss the larb with 5 tbsp of the dressing (chill the rest of the dressing to use in salads or as a dipping sauce). Spread the split rolls with the mayo, then layer in the lettuce, cucumber and a few big spoonfuls of the larb. Sprinkle with the rice powder and crispy shallots.