Crispy Rice Salad (Nam Khao Tod) in the air fryer

A very herby salad inspired by the Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas

I resisted the air fryer for so long. Though over the years I’ve been a staunch advocate for the Instant Pot — so much so I even wrote a few recipes for a magazine years ago — I thought I didn’t want another fad kitchen gadget cluttering my kitchen, especially considering my Instant Pot has been relegated to a mediocre rice cooker (I’m on the hunt for a good one if you have a recommendation).

But that all changed when one wintery evening my mother made frites in her newly gifted air fryer to pair with pan-fried steaks and I was immediately converted.

I went to Costco the next day, purchased an inexpensive model and for the past six months, I’ve been air-frying everything from chicken parmesan and pork cutlets to frozen French fries and edamame. Any food I once thought was too much work to deep fry was back in my kitchen, but I had yet to attempt the crispy rice salad I had fallen for in Las Vegas. 

Nam Khao Tod at the Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas and their awesome signage.

When we were vacationing in Las Vegas last year, one of our favourite meals was a luscious lunch meant to be a quick one on our way out of town. Adam and I had picked up our rental car and were headed for Palm Springs when we stopped at the famed Thai restaurant, Lotus of Siam, for lunch just as they opened.

Adam and I both loved Chef Saipin Chutima’s famous Khao Soi with crispy duck and pickled vegetables but the Nam Khao Tod blew my hair back. A crispy rice salad with sour pork sausage, cilantro, green onions, peanuts and a funky dressing with ginger, dry chilis and lime arrived at the table, and I was besotted.

Having only visited the southern part of Thailand on my travels, this dish was new to me, and I’ve wanted to recreate it ever since — it wasn’t until I saw Molly Yeh’s Instagram reel making it in the air fryer that I realized I could do it.

I recently hosted some friends for dinner and came up with this salad by breaking down the Nam Khao Tod I devoured at Lotus of Siam and combining two recipes by Molly Yeh and Pinch of Yum — I went over the top with the herbs, adding basil because I wanted an herbaceous blend to stand up to the punchy rice.

This crispy rice stands on its own however, coated with red curry paste, and makes a great crunchy element to any salad or Southeast Asian dish.

Call me converted, air fryer.

Air Fryer Nam Khao Tod

Ingredients:

●      1 tbsp Thai red curry paste

●      2 cups cooked leftover rice (Jasmine is ideal)

●      1 cup red onion, thinly sliced (with a mandolin, preferably)

●      1 cup basil

●      1 cup mint

●      1 cup cilantro

●      ½ cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts

●      Salad Dressing:

○      2 inches ginger (or 2 teaspoons ginger paste)

○      4 cloves garlic

○      2 tbsp Canola or vegetable oil

○      1 Thai chile, thinly sliced

○      2 tbsp lime juice

○      2 tbsp fish sauce

○      2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. Make the dressing. In a small saucepan heat up 2 tablespoons of canola oil on medium heat until it’s almost sizzling, then add in the garlic and ginger, cooking it for about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn it, and remove from heat. Add the Thai chilli, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar, whisking it until it thickens slightly. Set aside.

2. Crisp up that rice! Add 1 tablespoon of red curry paste to the leftover rice with a teaspoon of oil and toss, making sure to coat the rice fully in the paste. Preheat the air-fryer to 400F, then spray the rice with cooking oil and cook for 7-9 minutes until the rice is browned, making sure to pause at the midway point to toss the rice and add in the peanuts to brown them up too.

3. To assemble the salad, add the basil, mint, cilantro and sliced red onion to a large bowl and add the browned rice and peanuts. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Enjoy immediately for optimum crispiness. 

---

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

My first book, Where We Ate, has been shortlisted for a Taste Canada Award! This award has such special meaning to me as I attended the Taste Canada Awards as a blogger ambassador way back in 2015 and was in awe of the red carpet filled with Canadian food celebrities like Chef Michael Smith and Aimée Wimbush-Bourque of Simple Bites — now that it’s my turn I’m in utter disbelief.

Here’s the complete list of the shortlisted books in my category and beyond — I’m amongst some big hitters! Congrats to all on the Taste Canada Shortlist 2024!!!!

And, as luck would have it, Where We Ate is on sale at both Chapters and on Amazon — just in time for Father’s Day! Direct links through the buttons below!

---