Chicken larb with pinto beans

Chop the chicken by hand into pieces about the size of the beans, or grind through a coarse die.

Heat oil in the pan until hot, add the chicken and spread it out; brown a little and cook through, about 2 minutes.

Add the cooked pinto beans to warm through as the chicken finishes, about an equal amount to the chicken.

Make the dressing in the same pan: add pepper flakes to taste.

Season with fish sauce until it tastes properly salted; stir and taste.

Add lime juice and a little sugar to balance the saltiness; it should not taste sweet.

Add thinly shaved red onion, green onions, mint and cilantro and toss in the pan.

Toast Thai sticky rice in a dry pan about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden; grind finer than cornmeal in a blender, spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Stir in a couple of pinches of the toasted rice powder to absorb the liquid and make the dressing cling.

Line a bowl with lettuce leaves, add a wedge of cabbage and spoon the larb on top.

Add cooked green beans, cucumber spears and tomatoes around the edge.

Finish with more cilantro, mint leaves and basil.

Variation: serve with a lime wedge or two for squeezing over.