Laotian Or Lam Luang Prabang

We spent New Year’s Eve with friends in Winterthur, Switzerland. There’s an international beverage market at the train station where I discovered Beer Lao, which I hadn’t found in any Asian shops here. I immediately reminisced about old travel memories of Laos and packed three bottles. These inspired me to cook something Laotian again.

I chose Or Lam with beef, a hearty Laotian stew with beef, eggplants and lots of pepper that originates from the ancient royal city of Luang Prabang. In neighboring Isaan in Thailand, similar stews are also known and called “Or Lam” ( เอาะหลาม ). Regardless of which side of the border you are on, sticky rice is traditionally served with this dish.

Preparation

First, the black fungus - also called Mu-Err - dried mushrooms should be soaked in lukewarm water. At the same time, you can already cook the sticky rice. When it has become soft, remove it from the pot and let it cool.

Mix the cooled sticky rice with glutinous rice flour and toast this mixture in a small pan or pot without oil. This creates a firm crust that somehow smells like popcorn. Gradually remove this from the pan until all the sticky rice has turned into crust.

With this crust, we will later give the Or Lam consistency in the form of starch on one hand and a very light roasted aroma on the other. Now the Mu-Err mushrooms should also be soft and we can turn to the remaining ingredients. If beef broth is used in the form of bouillon cubes, now would also be a good time to add them to hot water.

Next, process the dried chilies together with the various pepper varieties and cilantro roots in a mortar into a paste. Then remove the woody parts from the lemongrass and cut it into thin strips.

Now heat the oil in a wok or large pot and sear the meat over high heat. As soon as the meat starts to change color, add the chili-pepper paste, mix both well and continue frying. As soon as the paste becomes fragrant, add the lemongrass and briefly fry this as well.

Now deglaze everything with the beef broth, reduce the heat, then add the fish sauce and Plaa Ra and let everything simmer covered together for about three-quarters of an hour.

Then add the mushrooms and the sticky rice crust and continue simmering. Meanwhile, cut the snake beans into two to three centimeter long pieces and quarter the eggplants. Add the eggplants to the stew and let them simmer there for about ten minutes.

After ten minutes, add the snake beans and let them simmer as well. Meanwhile, finely chop the cilantro and dill including stems and cut the scallion into thin rings.

Now fold in the dill and cilantro and simmer very briefly. Then distribute the finished Or Lam into soup bowls, garnish with the scallion and serve immediately hot. As mentioned, sticky rice goes best with this dish.