World on a Plate: Thai (+recipe)

Thai food cooked by Thai community leader Maneeka Campbell. Photo / Supplied

Thai community leader Maneeka Campbell is this weekend's guest chef at the Kai to Pie exhibition at Auckland Museum. Maneeka will be prepare a classic Thai dish, laab setthee. Traditionally eaten as a snack or part of a main course, Maneeka says, "my family likes to spoon the mixture into fresh lettuce leaves".

Maneeka's laab setthee recipe

227g ground pork (or chicken)
1 tablespoon ground toasted rice
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Juice of half a lime
1/4 tablespoon ground dried chilli
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 spring onions, sliced
Handful of fresh Thai mint leaves, chopped fine
Handful of chopped coriander.

1. To make ground toasted rice, place uncooked rice in a dry wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. As the rice heats up, shake the pan back and forth or stir with a spoon. After a few minutes, the rice will turn a light golden brown and will begin to pop (like popcorn). When it begins to pop, transfer the rice to a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar. Grind down to a coarse powder.

2. Place the ground pork in heated pan and stir until cooked. Turn off the heat and add the ground toasted rice, shallot, lime, fish sauce, spring onions, mint leaves and coriander.

3. Gently toss the mixture. Serve with sliced cucumber and sliced cabbage.

* For more on Auckland Museum's World on a Plate series, click here.