Method
- Grill the meat and skin over a charcoal or wood fire for 8 minutes per side until charred — the smoky char is essential to or lam's flavour. Cool slightly. Cut into 2cm cubes.
- Make the broth: combine water, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic, dried chilies and sakhan vine in a heavy pot. Simmer 30 minutes.
- Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discarding the solids. Return to the pot.
- Add the grilled meat and skin. Simmer 30 minutes until tender.
- Add eggplant, long beans, wood ear mushroom and bamboo shoots. Simmer 10 minutes — vegetables should be tender but holding shape.
- Add toasted rice powder, fish sauce and padaek. Stir; the broth thickens slightly. Off the heat, fold in dill and basil. Serve with sticky rice. Or lam improves overnight as the flavours marry.
Common questions
Can Or Lam be made ahead?
Or Lam is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 90 minutes.
Is Or Lam spicy?
Or Lam as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Or Lam vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Or Lam to make at home?
Or Lam is more demanding — total time around 120 minutes plus marinating/resting where noted. Specific technique (knife work, wok hei, fermentation) makes the difference between a passable result and the real thing.
Can Or Lam be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 6 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Or lam is the dish of Luang Prabang — the former Lao royal capital, now a UNESCO heritage town. The dish is associated with royal Lao cooking and remains the signature of upscale Lao restaurants worldwide. Sakhan vine — a peppery, slightly bitter local plant — is the irreplaceable flavour; Luang Prabang specialty restaurants source it from local foragers. The dish requires the wood-grilled smoke from the meat for full character; gas-grilled meat produces a flatter or lam. The thickness comes from toasted rice powder, not flour or cornstarch.
