Crispy Rice Salad Recipe

Make Crispy Rice Salad Recipe: crunchy caramelized rice with bright herbs and a tangy-sesame dressing for a fresh, textural salad.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (about 380 g) cooked jasmine rice, completely cooled and chilled at least 4 hours or overnight, clumps broken up
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral oil with a high smoke point (such as canola, vegetable, or grapeseed), divided
• 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes), plus extra lime wedges for serving
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce, or light soy sauce for a vegetarian version
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
• 1 small garlic clove (about 3 g), finely minced
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 cup (about 120 g) thinly sliced Persian or English cucumber
• 1 cup (about 70 g) finely shredded red cabbage
• 1/2 cup (about 60 g) julienned peeled carrot
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper (about 75 g), cored and thinly sliced
• 2 medium scallions (about 25 g), thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
• 1/4 cup (about 10 g) roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/4 cup (about 10 g) roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup (about 10 g) thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (Thai basil if available)
• 1/4 cup (about 35 g) roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon (about 9 g) toasted sesame seeds
• 1 small ripe avocado (about 150 g), diced just before serving (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the chilled rice for crisping

Take the cold, refrigerated jasmine rice and use your fingers gently to tease apart any clumps until most grains are free and separate; spread the rice thinly on a shallow tray or plate and let it rest at room temperature for ten to fifteen minutes so the surface dries slightly — the goal is cold, dry-to-the-touch grains that will crisp evenly rather than steam. Lightly scatter a quarter-teaspoon of fine sea salt over the spread rice if you like, then pause and watch the rice take on a slightly matte, powdery surface as moisture evaporates.

Step 2: Season and coat the rice

Place the chilled, mostly separated rice in a roomy matte grey ceramic mixing bowl and sprinkle the sifted cornstarch and the remaining pinch of salt over the top; add a tablespoon of neutral oil and, using a silicone spatula or your hands, fold and toss until every grain is evenly and lightly coated with a pale film of starch and oil — there should be no visible clumps of cornstarch, only a fine dusting that clings to individual grains. The bowl will show a whisper of white starch on its rim and a few loose grains adhering to the sides; set the spade-like spatula to rest on the bowl's rim.

Step 3: Result of crisping — compacted cake and broken pieces

After cooking and compacting the rice into a dense flat cake and then breaking and turning it to brown all surfaces, transfer the finished pieces back to the marble surface on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain; the pieces should read as deeply golden with rim-to-rim caramelized crusts, irregular jagged edges, and a toasted, crunchy exterior while the interiors retain a slightly chewy pearl of rice. Immediately sprinkle the hot pieces with the remaining pinch of fine salt; the salt grains will sit visibly on the crisped ridges and little oil-sheen highlights will catch the light. Let them cool just a few minutes to firm and crisp further.

Step 4: Whisk the bright, silky dressing

In a small clear glass bowl whisk together fresh lime juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce (or light soy sauce for a veg version), honey, toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and crushed red pepper until fully emulsified and slightly viscous; the dressing should coat the back of a spoon and show tiny suspended flecks of garlic and ginger with a glossy, honey-thick sheen. Rest the metal whisk across the bowl so droplets cling to the wires and small glass jars of oils and fish sauce sit nearby for visual context.

Step 5: Toss vegetables and fold in crispy rice

Combine the thinly sliced cucumber, finely shredded red cabbage, julienned carrot, thin red bell pepper slivers, and both the white and green scallion rings in the same matte grey ceramic mixing bowl (the bowl from Step 2), add the chopped cilantro, mint and basil, then drizzle about three-quarters of the prepared dressing over everything; gently toss with salad tongs so the vegetables and herbs are evenly coated and vibrant, then add the slightly cooled crispy rice pieces and fold them in carefully so many pieces remain intact and crunchy, creating a jagged, textural contrast between crisp golden rice and cool, wet vegetables.

Step 6: Finish, garnish, and serve

Transfer the dressed salad to a shallow charcoal stoneware serving bowl for plating; scatter roughly chopped roasted peanuts and toasted sesame seeds across the top, tuck in small cubes of ripe avocado just before serving, and nest a lime wedge on the rim for squeezing. Serve immediately at cool room temperature so the rice stays crunchy; the finished plate should showcase crunchy, bronzed rice shards atop a bed of jewel-toned vegetables and glossy, herb-flecked dressing.

Notes

• Use day-old, well-chilled jasmine rice for best crisping results.
• Crisp the rice in batches to avoid steaming and ensure even browning.
• Keep dressing and crispy rice separate until serving to maintain crunch.
• Substitute light soy sauce for fish sauce to make the recipe vegetarian.
• Add avocado at the last minute to prevent browning.