Khao Kan Jin Recipe
pork+rice+blood sausage steamed in a banana leaf, garlic chips, raw+crispy shallots, cilantro, lime
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Ingredients
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Khao Kan Jin parcels
Garnishes & accompaniments
Method
Khao Kan Jin parcels
- 1
Prepare rice and banana leaves
Rinse the 2 cups of uncooked jasmine rice under cold water until water runs mostly clear. Drain. Parboil the rice in salted water for 6–8 minutes until grains are slightly tender but not fully cooked (al dente). Drain and set aside to cool slightly. While rice cools, soften banana leaves by briefly passing them over an open flame or dipping in hot water until pliable; pat dry and lightly brush with 1 tablespoon neutral oil to prevent sticking.
- 2
Make pork mixture
In a bowl, combine the ground pork, minced garlic (4 cloves), 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon palm sugar, and 1 teaspoon ground white pepper. Mix thoroughly until sticky and well combined. Taste a small portion by quickly pan-frying a little to check seasoning and adjust salt/fish sauce if needed.
- 3
Assemble parcels
On each prepared banana leaf square, spread a thin base layer (about 2 tablespoons) of the parboiled rice in the center. Press to form a small rectangle. Next add a layer of the pork mixture (about 50 g or ~3 generous tablespoons) on top of the rice. Arrange 2–3 slices (about 30–35 g) of the blood sausage or small pieces of coagulated pork blood over the pork. Top with another thin layer of the parboiled rice (about 2 tablespoons) to enclose the filling. Fold the banana leaf over to form a parcel and tuck the edges; secure with kitchen twine or toothpicks if needed. Repeat to make 6 parcels.
- 4
Steam parcels
Place parcels seam-side down in a steamer basket with the lid on. Steam over boiling water for 25–30 minutes, until the pork is fully cooked (internal temperature 75°C / 165°F) and rice is tender. Remove from steamer and let rest 5 minutes. If you used raw sticky rice on top instead of parboiled rice, increase steaming time to 35–40 minutes.
Garnishes & accompaniments
- 5
Make garlic chips
Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. When oil is hot (test with one thin garlic slice; it should sizzle gently), fry the thinly sliced garlic (6 cloves) in batches until golden and crisp, 45–90 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt to season.
- 6
Prepare raw & crispy shallots
For the raw crispy-texture shallot topping, slice the additional 2 shallots paper-thin. Rinse briefly in cold water and drain in a sieve for 5 minutes to remove some pungency, then pat dry. If you prefer an extra-crispy shallot, you can shallow-fry these slices in the same oil used for garlic until lightly golden (about 1–2 minutes), then drain and salt lightly. The dish commonly uses both raw thin and crispy shallot textures — combine both if desired.
- 7
Assemble and serve
Unwrap each warm khao kan jin parcel and place on a serving plate. Top with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro (about 2 tablespoons per parcel), a few raw thin shallot slices, and 1–2 garlic chips. Add optional thinly sliced fresh chilies to taste. Serve immediately with lime wedges (about 1/3 lime per parcel) for squeezing over the parcel just before eating.