Minced meat dry-fried in a fierce southern curry paste until every crumb is coated, with shredded lime leaf — no coconut and no sauce.
What makes it khua kling
A southern paste of dried chilli, fresh turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shrimp paste and pepper.
Dry-fried until the meat is coated and there's no liquid left.
Lime leaf shredded fine, and fresh vegetables alongside.
Where it comes from
The south cooks hotter than anywhere else in Thailand, and khua kling shows it: a paste heavy with dried chilli, fresh turmeric and pepper, stirred with minced pork or beef in a dry wok until the meat has drunk it all. Khua means to stir-fry with little or no oil.
It's eaten with rice and a plate of raw vegetables and herbs — cucumber, long beans, pea aubergines — to cool the mouth between bites.