Posted on 12th Jul 2025

Minced Turkey Salad (Laab Gai Nuang)

Learn how to make this minced turkey salad that has a Thai twist, with Saiphin Moore's recipe! The chilli powder does give this dish an incredible punch, and I think it’s definitely best when it is extra spicy, but you can reduce the quantity to suit your palate.

Cuisine

Thai

Time

20 mins

Servings

2 people people

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 shallots, finely chopped
3cm (1¼ inch) piece of galangal, thinly sliced
1 lemon grass stalk, thinly sliced
2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil
250g (8oz) minced lean turkey
1 teaspoon dried chilli powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
1 tablespoon roasted rice
1 lime leaf, shredded
Handful of coriander leaves,roughly chopped
Handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 spring onion, sliced

Method

PREPARATION

1. Mix together the chopped garlic, shallots, galangal and lemongrass in a bowl.

COOKING

2. Place the oil in a wok set over a high heat until it is extremely hot. Add the garlic mixture and stir-fry for about 2–3 minutes until golden brown. 3. Add the minced turkey and continue to stir-fry for about 2 minutes until the meat is cooked through. Take the wok off the heat and add the chilli powder, salt, lime juice, fish sauce, roasted rice and the lime leaf. 4. Stir in the coriander, mint and spring onion. Mix well and taste – it should have a delicious balance of spicy, sour and salty.

Serving

5. Serve with lettuce and other fresh green vegetables, sprinkled with chilli slices. The traditional way to eat Laab Turkey is to wrap the hot meat in really cold lettuce leaves. Trust me, it tastes superb this way. The different flavours and temperatures just explode in your mouth!

Photo taken from: ROSA'S THAI CAFE: THE COOKBOOK