Water-Buffalo Meat Salad from Traditional Recipes of Laos by Phia Sing

Ingredients

• 1 piece of dark (blackish) water-buffalo meat, about the size of a hand, washed and chopped finely on a chopping board
• 6 young bitter eggplants, seared in the fire until the skin is burned, pound these ingredients together into smooth a paste until it is no longer possible to distinguish any of them in the mixture
• 2 dried red chilli peppers, grilled on the fire until crisp, pound these ingredients together into smooth a paste until it is no longer possible to distinguish any of them in the mixture
• water-buffalo heart, a quantity equivalent to four fingers of each, boiled in broth from the stock-pot until cooked, then sliced into small pieces
• water-buffalo liver, a quantity equivalent to four fingers of each, boiled in broth from the stock-pot until cooked, then sliced into small pieces
• 2 slices of galingale, pound these ingredients together into smooth a paste until it is no longer possible to distinguish any of them in the mixture
• 1 stalk lemon grass, chopped finely, fried until it gives off a good aroma, then taken out of the pan, these fried ingredients must not burn, or the general flavour of the dish will be spoiled
• 1 bowl of meat broth
• 3 (small) heads of garlic, sliced across and fried until golden-yellow, then taken out of the pan, these fried ingredients must not burn, or the general flavour of the dish will be spoiled
• 3 spring onions, bulbs only, sliced across and fried until golden-yellow, then taken out of the pan, these fried ingredients must not burn, or the general flavour of the dish will be spoiled
• water-buffalo spleen, a quantity equivalent to four fingers of each, boiled in broth from the stock-pot until cooked, then sliced into small pieces
• 2 finely chopped Kaffir lime leaves
• finely chopped coriander leaves
• finely chopped spring onion leaves
• 3 soupspoonfuls of ground khao khoua (rice which has been toasted until brown in a hot dry pan and then pounded), sifted in order to achieve the finest texture, like that of flour
• 1 bowl of or padek