Crispy coconut rice and herb salad

We’ve got a thing for frozen rice. Freezing draws out excess moisture, which helps rice get irresistibly crispy when you toast or bake it. The drier the grains, the toastier and crunchier they get. That’s why it's perfect for making things like our quickie fried rice or sheet tray biryani. It’s also an ideal shortcut for a crispy rice salad.

Nam khao is a Laotian street food salad made of crispy rice, fresh herbs, and a tangy dressing. It’s the ideal salad for salad haters, because it’s full of contrasting flavors and textures that make every bite interesting. In a classic nam khao, deep-fried rice balls are broken up and tossed with fermented pork sausage, fresh herbs, crunchy peanuts, coconut, and a sweet-and-sour dressing. Our meat-free makeover subs in some protein-rich edamame for the pork, and instead of deep-frying, we’re making crispy rice in the oven and enlisting some chile crisp and coconut oil to infuse it with those traditional flavors. 

Chile crisp can do a lot of work here, as store-bought varieties often contain other ingredients that are typical in this salad like peanuts and crispy shallots—but you can also sub gochujang, Thai red curry paste, or even Sriracha in a pinch. To bulk the dish up even more you can top it with a crispy fried egg or some tofu.

Crispy Coconut Rice and Herb Salad 

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• Salad:
  • 2 cups frozen rice, defrosted*
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 2 tablespoons chile crisp* 
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or liquid aminos
  • ½ cup unsweetened coconut shreds
  • 1 bunch scallions (4 to 6), thinly sliced
  • 1 medium seedless cucumber (or 4 Persian cucumbers), thinly sliced 
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup shelled edamame
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup mint or basil leaves, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup peanuts, chopped
• Dressing:
  • ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup soy sauce or liquid aminos
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 large garlic clove, grated

Procedure:

1. Crisp the rice. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix the rice, coconut oil, chile crisp, and soy sauce. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the coconut over the rice. Remove from the oven and let cool.
2. Assemble the salad. Meanwhile, add the scallions, cucumbers, shallot, edamame, cilantro, mint, and peanuts to a large bowl. Add the crispy rice, reserving ½ cup for topping.
3. Mix the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss to coat.
4. Serve. Divide the salad among plates and top with reserved crispy rice; serve immediately.

Notes and Substitutions: 

• Day-old rice from the fridge would also work in this recipe, though it might not get as crisp.
• To thaw frozen rice, leave it in the fridge overnight or nuke it. To microwave, break the rice into chunks, transfer to a microwave-safe container, and zap, loosely covered, in 1-minute increments until thawed.
• Crispy rice salad is best eaten right away so the rice doesn’t get soggy. You can assemble the components up to two days ahead of time and store them individually in sealed containers in the fridge. Reheat the rice at 375 until crispy again; assemble just before serving.
• If you don’t have chile crisp, you can sub gochujang, red chile paste, or Sriracha.