Kua Kling (Southern Thai Dry Curry Mince)
A fiery dry curry from Southern Thailand: minced pork stir-fried with curry paste, turmeric and kaffir lime leaves until every bit of moisture is gone. Big flavour, served with rice and cucumber.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste (or homemade)
- 1 tsp fermented shrimp paste
- 1 tsp ground turmeric (or 2cm fresh turmeric, grated)
- 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 500g pork mince
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp palm sugar, grated
- 8 kaffir lime leaves, very finely shredded
- 1 long red chilli, sliced
- Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
- Cucumber, sliced, and snake beans or green beans, to serve
Instructions
- Mix the curry paste, shrimp paste, turmeric and crushed pepper in a small bowl.
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Fry the paste for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until it smells very fragrant and the oil turns orange.
- Turn up the heat, add the pork and break it up with a spatula. Stir-fry for 8-10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the wok, until the pork is cooked through, all the liquid has evaporated and the mince is dry and lightly browned. Add a splash of water if the paste starts to catch.
- Season with the fish sauce and palm sugar and stir-fry for 1 more minute.
- Toss through most of the kaffir lime leaves and the chilli. Taste and add more fish sauce if needed.
- Serve with jasmine rice, sliced cucumber and raw beans to cool things down, with the remaining lime leaves on top.
About this dish
Kua kling (คั่วกลิ้ง) is a Southern Thai "dry curry". There is no coconut milk and no sauce: minced meat is stir-fried with curry paste, turmeric and pepper until it is dry and every grain is coated in spice. It is one of the hottest dishes in Thai cooking and is always served with plenty of rice and fresh vegetables.
A good red curry paste does the hard work. Our homemade red curry paste is ideal, boosted with a little fermented shrimp paste and turmeric for the southern flavour. If you like this, try gaeng som from the same region, or the quicker pad kra pao.
Tips for the best result
- Keep stir-frying until the pork is truly dry. That is the point of the dish and where the flavour concentrates.
- Shred the kaffir lime leaves as finely as you can, like threads, so they melt into the mince.
- Serve with lots of crunchy raw vegetables; they are part of the meal, not a garnish.
Substitutions
- Pork: chicken or beef mince both work.
- Shrimp paste: leave it out and add an extra 1 tsp fish sauce.
- Milder: use 2 tbsp curry paste and skip the fresh chilli.
Storage
Keeps in the fridge for 3 days and freezes well for 2 months. Reheat in a dry wok.
Kua kling FAQs
What does kua kling mean?
"Kua" means to dry-fry without much oil and "kling" means to roll, describing how the mince is rolled around the wok until dry.
Is kua kling very spicy?
Traditionally, yes; it is one of Thailand's hottest curries. This version is medium-hot. Use less curry paste for a milder dish.
Where can I buy shrimp paste and kaffir lime leaves in Australia?
Thai and Asian grocers sell shrimp paste (kapi) in small tubs or blocks and kaffir lime leaves fresh or frozen. Many supermarkets stock kaffir lime leaves in the fresh herb section.
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