This is a tested and proven crispy rice salad to add a lot of flavor to summer 2024. If you’re a fresh vegetables and fragrant herb fan who loves crispy rice that’s crunchy in just the right places but chewy in others, look no further; it’s your salad now. Inspired by the Laotian dish Nam Khao, it’s crispy rice and fresh vegetables all wrapped up in an unforgettable dressing-tossed together in a flavor explosion.
Fresh Ingredients That Shine in this Salad
The magic of this salad begins with its base-a beautiful blend of crunchy, paper-thin vegetables, and plenty of fresh herbs. Crisp-cucumbers, delicate shallots, and a whole mix of other herbs-like mint, cilantro; piled up abundantly. These bring brightness and freshness to every bite while perfectly balancing with hearty, savory rice.
Then, there’s the rice-not just any rice, but chunky, golden-red curry jasmine rice, air-fried to crispy perfection. The exterior is golden and crisp while the inside remains soft, fluffy, and able to absorb all the mouth-watering flavors of the dressing. The heart of the salad is this rice, adding that nice crunch that perfectly matches the veggies and herbs.
Finally, crushed peanuts come into play for those who like a little more texture. The nutty taste is just wonderful; it compliments, but does not overpower, the dish. However, if you want to sneak in a bit of protein, you could make this dish even better with a couple of options. Whether it be air-fryer chicken or salmon, these protein options give an extra mouthful of savory goodness, which will definitely feed your appetite and make you happy.
Crispy Rice Salad: With a Laotian Twist, Easy and Fresh
This salad is inspired by Nam Khao, an appetizer Lao-style dish where rice is fried in crispy balls mixed with fermented sausage. Traditionally, they serve it with lettuce cups, serving as vessels to scoop the crispy rice mixture. After having had my ever so pleasant version of the dish at Hai Hai, I dreamt this. The moment I saw Molly Yeh’s air-fryer crispy rice video, I knew it was time for the craving to be realized ASAP. Here’s my adaptation of the original, with a handful of contemporary alterations for ease and flavor.
How To Make A Crispy Rice Salad
- Making A Dressing And Fresh Vegetables
Begin by preparing the dressing. This is the vinaigrette, where the perpetrators get away—the balance of lime, garlic, fish sauce, and the lightest touch of sweetness perfectly bridges together. While the dressing holds its own, cut the vegetables. Use a mandolin to achieve paper-thin perfection for hats-off cucumbers and shallots, ensuring every bite of your salad has just the crisp texture comfort. - Preparing the Rice With Curry Paste
The most important thing when frying crispy rice is to give it good seasoning! Combine your leftover or freshly cooked jasmine rice with a little oil and some red curry paste. Make sure the rice clumps together enough to be air-fried. If your rice is a little old, 3 days or so, dry, add a little water and cornstarch to rejuvenate it and make it follow together when frying. - Clump Your Rice and Air Fry It
Now comes the fun part: clumping the rice. Grab some small handfuls of rice, clump them into pieces, and then lay them out in a single layer in the air fryer. They don’t have to be perfectly round, but you want to clump them enough that, when frying, each piece will have a crispy outside and a tender inside. Air fry your rice at 420 degrees Fahrenheit for about 8 minutes, until it turns golden brown and crisps blue on the edges. You will see that the rice forms beautiful little clusters just waiting to be plunged into your salad. - Make Your Salad
Now, with the crispy rice done, it’s time to start assembling the salad! Mix up your vegetables in your dressing, and then delicately fold through the crispy rice clusters. The crispy rice will absorb some of the vinaigrette for a little flavor zing that pairs beautifully with the crisp, fresh vegetables. - Serve and enjoy!
For extra texture, sprinkle crushed peanuts generously over your salad. This salad can be eaten as is, or you can supplement it with your choice of protein, say air fryer chicken, salmon, to complete a meal. There is seriously no resisting such texture and flavor in a salad: from crispy golden rice to fresh crunchy veggies, all topped with tangy dressing. Perfectly flavored, perfectly textured, and mouthwatering.
FAQs
Is it possible to make crispy rice in the oven? Yes! Even without an air fryer, baking can give you crispy rice. Pound your rice with the curry paste and oil, clump it on the baking sheet, and bake it at 425°F on a rack near the top of the oven for 15 minutes. That will give you a crispy outside and a nice chewy soft inside.
Can I replace jasmine rice with brown rice? Brown rice can be good in this recipe. It will require just a bit more cornstarch to get it to bunch up, but it will also be just as well-textured, and flavored. It will have a different texture than jasmine rice, but nothing very dramatic.
In the future, can I make this beforehand? Yes, but it is best to keep the components separate and crisped up rice close to serving. If you are going to make it ahead of time, keep in mind that rice would get a little chewy after being stored in the fridge, but still tastes fantastic.
Is this salad spicy? The salad itself can’t really be called spicy, unless you happen to really like heat and then add more to it by pouring on some chili crisp or throwing in fresh chilies. It’s much spicier in its original Lao version, but this version can be easily adjusted to suit your taste.
Is it possible to make this vegetarian or gluten-free? Indeed! Making this vegetarian is as simple as using either soy sauce or coconut aminos or, in fact, trying out your own homemade vegan fish sauce in place of fish sauce. This recipe is naturally gluten-free, but ensure you double check the labels of your fish sauce, curry paste, and rice to ensure that they have no gluten cross contamination for it to be gluten-free.
You will, I assure you, fall in love with this salad made of crispy rice very fast. It’s everything: fresh veggies, crunchy rice, and bold, savory flavors. This excellent balance of textures and flavors will suit any summer meal; whether as a main course or a side dish, it is certainly a fun, flavorful hybrid way of enjoying crispy rice.