Kua Kling (Southern Dry Curry)
Minced pork dry-fried in a fiery turmeric curry paste until every grain is coated, finished with shredded makrut lime leaves.
- Region
- Southern Thailand
- Condiments
- Fish Sauce, Shrimp Paste, Palm Sugar
- Vegetables
- Lemongrass, Galangal, Makrut Lime, Bird’s Eye Chilli, Thai Shallots, Garlic, Fresh Turmeric, Dried Red Chillies
Ingredients
- Paste: 8 dried long red chillies, soaked and chopped
- Paste: 5–10 bird’s eye chillies
- Paste: 4 cm fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped
- Paste: 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced, and 1 cm galangal, chopped
- Paste: 6 cloves garlic and 4 small shallots, chopped
- Paste: 1 tsp black peppercorns and 1 tsp makrut lime zest
- Paste: 1 tbsp shrimp paste and ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 400 g minced pork (or beef or chicken)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- 8 makrut lime leaves, very finely shredded
- To serve: jasmine rice, cucumber, long beans and fresh herbs
Instructions
Kua kling is one of the hottest dishes in Thailand, and one of the most loved in the south. There is no sauce at all: minced meat is fried with a turmeric-yellow curry paste, pressed and stirred until it is dry and every grain is coated, then finished with a shower of shredded lime leaves.
It is always served with plenty of rice and a plate of raw vegetables to cool the heat.
Method
- Pound the paste ingredients in a mortar, or blend with a tiny splash of water, to a smooth paste.
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add 4 tbsp of the paste and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until very fragrant. Keep any leftover paste in the freezer.
- Add the pork and stir-fry, breaking it up, until cooked. Keep going for another 6–8 minutes, pressing and turning the meat with the spatula, until it is dry, darker and the paste clings to every piece.
- Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, and stir-fry for another minute.
- Turn off the heat and toss in most of the lime leaves. Serve topped with the rest, with rice and a plate of cucumber, long beans and herbs.
Cook’s tips
- Use fewer bird’s eye chillies for a milder version; the dried chillies give colour without much heat.
- If the paste starts to stick and burn, add a tablespoon of water, not more oil.
Aroy Mak Mak
Aroy Mak Mak is a small team writing about the food of Thailand and its neighbours: recipes you can cook at home, guides to the ingredients behind them, and places worth travelling for. The name means "very delicious" in Thai. Every recipe on the site lists its ingredients, timings and method in full, explains the techniques that matter, and suggests substitutes for ingredients that are hard to find outside Thailand. The guides to regions, condiments, vegetables and fruits explain what things are, how they are used and how to buy and store them. Place pages are researched from current sources, including the latest Michelin Guide Thailand, official websites and maps, and give addresses, opening hours and what to order. Where a detail could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed.