Asian Food | Easy Peasy Khao Jee: A Simple Guide to Making Delicious Lao-Style Baguette Sandwiches at Home

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Khao Jee, also known as Lao-style baguette, is a popular street food in Laos. It is essentially a sandwich made with a baguette that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, filled with a variety of ingredients.

The baguette used in Khao Jee is a legacy of French colonialism in Laos. However, Lao people have adapted the recipe to suit their taste buds by adding traditional Lao ingredients such as spicy meat, herbs, and vegetables.

The most common filling for Khao Jee is minced pork, which is mixed with lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and chili. The meat is then fried in a pan until it is crispy and flavorful. The baguette is sliced in half and toasted on a griddle until it is crispy on the outside. The crispy pork is then stuffed inside the baguette along with pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, and sliced cucumber. A drizzle of spicy chili sauce or mayonnaise is added to enhance the flavor.

Khao Jee can be found all over Laos, from street vendors to upscale restaurants. It is a popular breakfast and lunch item, and it can be eaten on the go or as a sit-down meal. The sandwich is filling and satisfying, making it a great option for people who are on the move or looking for a quick and tasty meal 

Here is a guide and recipe for making a halal version of Khao Jee from Laos:

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette
• 1/2 lb. ground beef or lamb
• 1/4 cup chopped lemongrass
• 1/4 cup chopped galangal
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 red chilies, chopped (adjust to your preferred level of spiciness)
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce (optional, you can replace with soy sauce or salt)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup pickled carrots and daikon (you can make your own or buy from an Asian grocery store)
• Sliced cucumber
• Mayonnaise or chili sauce (optional)

Instructions:

• Preheat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the ground beef or lamb to the pan and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spatula.
• Add lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and red chilies to the pan and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
• Season with fish sauce (or soy sauce/salt), salt, and pepper to taste.
• Add chopped cilantro and stir to combine.
• Slice the baguette in half lengthwise and toast on a griddle or in a pan until crispy on the outside.
• Stuff the baguette with the beef or lamb mixture, pickled carrots and daikon, and sliced cucumber.
• Drizzle with mayonnaise or chili sauce, if desired.
• Serve hot and enjoy!

Note: You can also make a vegetarian version by replacing the ground beef or lamb with crumbled tofu or tempeh, and using vegetable broth instead of fish sauce for seasoning