Crispy curry rice salad with herbs

Pan-fry jasmine rice with red curry paste until golden and crunchy, then toss with lime juice, fish sauce and fresh herbs for a vibrant dinner

500g cooked and chilled jasmine rice , plus 30g uncooked
2 tbsp red curry paste , or any Thai curry paste
5 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 limes , zested and juiced
2 tsp light brown soft sugar
50g roasted unsalted peanuts
large handful of mint , leaves picked and finely chopped, plus a few whole leaves to serve
1 banana shallot , finely sliced into rounds

Pour the 30g of uncooked jasmine rice into a large frying pan and toast it for 3-5 mins over a medium heat until golden brown. Use a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder to grind it to a powder.
Mix the curry paste with 1 tbsp of the oil, then add it to the cooked rice and give it a good mix. Add the remaining 4 tbsp oil to the large frying pan and set over a medium heat. Stir in the cooked rice and press it down with a spatula. Cook for 7-9 mins, until golden and crispy underneath, then flip it over. It will break up a bit, but don’t worry. Cook for another 7-9 mins on the other side, breaking it up into chunks with the spatula as it cooks until you have crispy and golden chunks. Transfer to a large bowl.
To make the dressing, whisk together the peanut butter, sesame oil, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar in a bowl. Add most of the lime zest, peanuts, mint leaves and sliced shallots to the rice, then pour in three quarters of the dressing and most of the toasted rice powder. Toss together well and season to taste.
Spoon onto a platter or individual plates, then finish with the remaining dressing, lime zest, peanuts, whole mint leaves and rice powder to serve.