Kua kling mu – Dry-fried pork and green peppercorns
This recipe for kua kling mu, or dry-fried pork and green peppercorns from John Chantarasak is spicy with bird's eye chillies and fragrant with turmeric. Serve with steamed rice and a selection of raw cooling vegetables.
This dry-style curry hails from Southern Thailand and holds all the classic characteristics of dishes from this region – hot and salty with tones of fresh turmeric, lemongrass and makrut lime leaf. It’s one of my favourite dishes to eat, but be warned I’ve had versions before in Thailand that have nearly given me a nosebleed from the heavy use of chillies!
I’ve pulled back the heat in this recipe, but only slightly, as the chilli spice is integral for a true kua kling. The dish is always eaten with freshly steamed rice and with plenty of cooling vegetables to hand like cucumber and cabbage.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Curry Paste
- 9 dried bird's eye chillies
- 2 tbsp of lemongrass, finely sliced
- 1/2 tbsp of fresh galangal, chopped
- 2 tbsp of shallots, chopped
- 2 tbsp of garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp of fresh turmeric, chopped
- 2/3 tbsp of makrut lime peel, grated
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp salt
Dry Fried Pork
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 200g of pork mince
- 1 tbsp of fish sauce
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp of lemongrass, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of green peppercorns
- 1 tbsp of bird's eye chillies, left whole
- 2 makrut lime leaves, shredded
- 2 makrut lime leaves, torn
Equipment
- Pestle and mortar
Method
To make the curry paste, begin by soaking the dried bird's eye chillies in water, until soft – around 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze out the excess liquid
Pound the chillies in a stone pestle and mortar with all the other curry paste ingredients, until very smooth. Set aside
- 2 tbsp of lemongrass, chopped
- 1/2 tbsp of fresh galangal, chopped
- 2 tbsp of shallots, chopped
- 2 tbsp of garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp of fresh turmeric, chopped
- 1/2 tbsp of makrut lime peel, grated
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp salt
Add the vegetable oil to a wok and warm over a low heat, then add the minced pork and 2 tablespoons of curry paste. Mash and stir together allowing the curry paste and pork to combine and cook into each other. Once the pork is almost cooked through and the curry paste is no longer raw (around 5 minutes) season with the fish sauce and palm sugar
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 200g of pork mince
- 1 tbsp of fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp palm sugar
Add the lemongrass, green peppercorns, chillies and the torn lime leaves. Continue to mix and mash the ingredients together for a further minute, so the green peppercorns and chillies bruise, releasing their heat. If the contents of the wok are catching too much, then moisten with water, one tablespoon at a time, ensuring to evaporate the liquid each time so you're left with a dry dish at the end
- 2 tbsp of lemongrass, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp of green peppercorns
- 1 tbsp of bird's eye chillies
- 2 makrut lime leaves, torn
The pork will taste spicy and salty, with a fragrance of lemongrass and turmeric. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the shredded makrut lime leaves. Serve with steamed rice and a selection of raw cooling vegetables
- 2 makrut lime leaves, finely shredded
Get in touch
Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.
You may also like
SITES
