Khua Kling: Our authentic recipe for spicy southern Thai curry
Khua Kling (คั่วกลิ้ง) is a staple of Southern Thai cuisine, a curry found throughout Southern Thailand. What makes this dish special is that it is prepared without broth or coconut milk.
Basically, it is a dry curry that can be prepared with any type of meat.
The dish is prepared with our fresh Pak Dai Paste, which is also called Khua Kling Paste. We make this here in Bavaria according to an authentic Thai recipe.
The very special taste of the dish comes from the pepper and turmeric contained in the Khua Kling Curry Paste – just try it.
Yak Thai - Authentic Thai
Ingredients for 2–3 servings of Khua Kling
Preparing Khua Kling is quite simple and quick. You need at most 30 minutes to prepare a delicious and authentic Thai dish.
Just follow our cooking instructions.
| Ingredients for 2-3 servings: | |
| Ground meat of your choice | 250 g |
| Kaffir lime leaves | 3 - 4 (cut into strips) |
| Thai chilies | 2 - 3 (finely chopped) |
| Khua Kling Curry Paste | 2 - 3 teaspoons (feel free to use more) |
| Vegetable oil | 1 tbsp |
| Fish sauce | 1 tbsp |
| Brown sugar | 1 tsp |
Preparing the curry:
1. Cut the chilies and kaffir lime leaves into fine strips, as shown in the photo
2. Heat the wok or pan over high heat until it is slightly smoking. Then add the oil, swirl it around, add the curry paste, and cook for about 30 seconds while stirring constantly with a cooking spoon, until the paste begins to smell fragrant.
3. Add the ground meat and cook while constantly stirring and scraping the bottom of the wok or pan so that the ground meat does not stick and the curry paste does not burn, until the meat is fully cooked and the moisture released has completely evaporated (the sound changes from simmering to sizzling. As soon as the water from the meat has evaporated, fry for another 3–4 minutes.
4. Add the fish sauce and sugar and cook while stirring and scraping until the liquid is completely absorbed (about 30 seconds). Add lemongrass, 3⁄4 of the kaffir lime leaves, and Thai chili (if used). Stir and swirl until everything is well mixed, then remove from the heat.
5. Add the remaining leaves and chilies as a garnish on the dish.
Did you know...?
Dry preparation: Unlike many other curries, Khua Kling is prepared dry, without much sauce. The meat is fried dry with the curry paste, which leads to an intense concentration of flavor.
Origin: This dish comes from Southern Thailand and is known for its strong, spicy aromas. It is often prepared with pork, chicken, or beef.
Spiciness: Khua Kling is known for its pepper heat. Unlike other curries, Khua Kling gets its heat from the pepper contained in the paste. The additional Thai chilies used can reach between 50,000 and 100,000 units on the Scoville scale, making it one of the spicier Thai dishes.
Serving suggestions: Khua Kling is often served with rice, fresh cucumber slices, and some Chinese cabbage. Since it is a rather dry curry, it pairs well with other Thai dishes such as Thai omelets or vegetables.
Do you prefer chili heat instead of pepper heat? Then try our recipe for Tod Man Pla!
