Laab Gai (Thai Chicken Salad)

1. Combine the mint, kaffir lime leaves and cilantro and chop until very fine. Set aside.

2. In a nonstick skillet, cook chicken with the water over medium heat. As the chicken cooks, break it apart with a spatula so that it stays in small pieces. Keep the chicken cooking slowly, reducing the heat if it begins to brown. When the chicken is cooked through and still moist (there should be moisture in the bottom of the pan), remove it from the heat.

3. Add all remaining ingredients to the chicken, including the finely chopped herbs, and mix well. Serve immediately, with sticky rice.

Note: Substitute any protein for the ground chicken in this recipe. Follow the instructions, replacing the chicken with 12 ounces of ground pork, duck or even minced tofu or mushrooms. (If using tofu or mushrooms, you won’t need to add the extra tablespoon of water when cooking.) If you are absolutely opposed to using fish sauce, I find that this is also delicious with the same amount of soy sauce as a substitute (omit the extra salt from the recipe if using soy sauce).