Begin by starting the rice in a rice cooker.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Oil/salt the peppers, line them on a baking tray, and then roast until they are very blistered and beginning to blacken.

Meanwhile, in a dry wok, begin toasting all the whole spices, moving constantly. Once they are very fragrant and slightly golden, set aside to cool. Once cooled, grind them in a coffee or spice grinder. I didn’t have one of those on hand so I just put them in the KitchenAid mixer and it worked pretty well.

Add the garlic, shallot, and ginger to the dry wok. Toast, while moving constantly, until very fragrant and beginning to turn golden. Some charred spots are alright.

Once the peppers are done roasting, take the stems out and add them into the KitchenAid mixer. I prefer to do this while they are still hot, as it helps everything puree a bit easier. Leave the skins on the peppers. The black spots are okay.

Add the garlic, ginger, shallot, and all the spices to the mixer. Add the cilantro, fish sauce, and lime juice. Puree until very smooth.

Cook the ground chicken in a saute pan with canola oil and salt. For 1 lb. of chicken, use about ¼ cup of the paste and then taste. Adjust with lime juice and fish sauce, and possibly more paste.

I served the Laap alongside more paste so that people could add more spice to their wraps if desired. I certainly did.

Serve with whole leaf lettuce or Nappa cabbage, fresh vegetables, and rice. Sticky rice is definitely preferred, but I used jasmine rice because that is all that was available.