Khua Kling Moo

Khua Kling, literally dry frying (“Khua” means the kind of cooking process with little water or no water at all and cook until the food is very dry, for “Kling” means tossing or rolling, and for “Moo” means pork), is one of  well known southern Thai dishes.

Southern Thai food is significantly different than the food from the other parts of Thailandas Southern Thai food got a lot influence from Indian, Arab and Persian cuisine. Turmeric is an important ingredient and plays a big part in Southern Thai food.

In general Southern Thai food is very spicy it can be burning hot so when you go to a restaurant in Southern Thailand, they always give you a basket or big plate of fresh vegetables covering with ice. These vegetables help to reduce feeling burning hot your tongue.

For this recipe it is not that spicy compares with Khua Kling in Southern Thailand but the flavor is still real Southern Thai food. You can use other kinds of meat like chicken, beef or fish but if you use fish then you should reduce ½ cup of water to be 1 – 2 tbsp of water and the cooking time should be reduced too so that fish will not be over cooked.

**** Very spicy

Ingredients

500g.              Minced pork loin

3 tbsp             Thai southern style curry paste (see recipe below)

½ cup             Water

2 tbsp             Fish sauce (adjustable, each brand of fish sauce has different level of sodium)

2 tbsp             Vegetable Oil

1 ½ tsp           Palm sugar

5                     Kaffir Lime leaves, cut into very thin stripes

Instructions on video

Instructions

1. Heat the wok over medium high heat, add vegetable oil and following with minced pork. Cook until pork turns prink and add curry paste, fish sauce, and palm sugar, and mix well.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add water and cook until pork is tender and dry.
3. Turn of the heat, add Kaffir lime leaves and mix well
4. Serve with lots of fresh vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, snake beans etc, and steamed Jasmine rice.

Thai Southern Style Curry Paste

Instructions on video

Ingredients

12                Dried Thai chilies or dried Prik Kee Noo

6                Fresh Thai chilies or fresh Prik Kee Noo, chopped

3 cloves       Garlic, chopped

2                  Shallots, chopped

1 ½ tbsp      Chopped turmeric (about 2 inches long of turmeric)

2 tbsp          Galangal, finely chopped

2 tbsp           Lemongrass, finely chopped

1 tbsp          Fresh ground pepper

1 ½ - 2 tsp    Shrimp paste

¼ tsp Salt

Instructions

1. Soak dried chilies in a bowl of boiling or hot water until soft 15 minutes to 30 minutes depends on the temperature of water – hotter water takes less time. Rinse and remove the seeds, and finely chop.
2. Wrap shrimp paste with a piece of tin foil and roast on the cook top of a stove until smelling the air with an aroma.
3. Put all the ingredients in the mortar, and pound and crush with the pestle until smooth. It can be done with a food processor also. (Store in the freezer if you don't use all at once).