Kua Kling

Name: Kua Kling
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 500g minced pork or beef; 4 tbsp southern Thai curry paste (dried and fresh bird's eye chillies, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, black pepper, shrimp paste); 30g fresh turmeric, pounded into the paste (or 2 tsp ground turmeric); 10 kaffir lime leaves, very finely sliced; 1–2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tsp palm sugar; Sliced long red chilli, to garnish; Cucumber, long beans and Thai basil, to serve

คั่วกลิ้ง/KUA kling/

Also known as: Khua Kling, Kua Gling, Khua Kling Moo, Southern Thai Dry Curry, Kua Kling Moo Sap

About this dish

A fiery Southern Thai dry curry of minced pork or beef stir-fried in a turmeric-rich curry paste until every drop of liquid is gone, finished with kaffir lime leaves.

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Ingredients

🐖500g minced pork or beef

🌶️4 tbsp southern Thai curry paste (dried and fresh bird's eye chillies, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, black pepper, shrimp paste)

🟡30g fresh turmeric, pounded into the paste (or 2 tsp ground turmeric)

🌿10 kaffir lime leaves, very finely sliced

🐟1–2 tbsp fish sauce

🍬1 tsp palm sugar

🌶️Sliced long red chilli, to garnish

🥒Cucumber, long beans and Thai basil, to serve

Method

Serves 4

Heat a dry wok over medium-low heat and add the curry paste with a splash of water, stirring until fragrant.

Add the minced meat and break it up, stirring constantly so the paste coats every piece.

Keep stir-frying for 15–20 minutes, adding a spoonful of water only if it sticks, until the meat is dry, fine and deeply coloured.

Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, then toss in most of the kaffir lime leaves.

Garnish with the remaining lime leaves and red chilli, and serve with rice and fresh vegetables.

✓ What Makes it Authentic

Kua kling is one of the hottest dishes of Southern Thailand; with no coconut milk or sauce, the paste is 'rolled' (kling) through the meat over low heat, and it is eaten with rice and plenty of fresh vegetables to cool the heat.

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