Kua Kling (Southern Thai-Style Red Curry) Recipe
Kua Kling is a vibrant Southern Thai-style red curry featuring ground chicken cooked in a fragrant blend of Thai red curry paste, turmeric, chiles, and aromatic lime zest. This dish delivers a perfect balance of spicy, salty, and slightly sweet flavors, traditionally served with rice and fresh toppings like sliced cabbage, herbs, avocado, cucumber, and a fried egg.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
Scale
For the Curry
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or grapeseed)
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste (ideally containing makrut lime, lemongrass, and shrimp paste)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced (or to taste)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest or 10 makrut lime leaves, deveined and thinly sliced
For Serving
- Rice
- Sliced cabbage
- Chopped fresh herbs
- Sliced avocado
- Chopped cucumber
- Fried egg
Instructions
- Toast the Curry Paste: In a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil and add the Thai red curry paste, ground turmeric, and sliced chiles (if using). Toast the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes until it becomes extremely fragrant, stirring frequently and lowering the heat as needed to prevent sticking.
- Cook the Chicken: Add the ground chicken to the skillet. Break up the meat with a spoon and stir thoroughly to coat the chicken evenly with the curry paste. Continue cooking for 7 to 10 minutes until the chicken is fully opaque. If the mixture sticks, add a small amount of water or additional oil to loosen it.
- Season the Curry: Stir in the dark brown sugar, fish sauce, and lime zest (or sliced makrut lime leaves). Cook for about 1 minute until the liquid has been absorbed. Taste and adjust the seasoning to ensure the dish is spicy first and salty second, adding more brown sugar or fish sauce if needed.
- Serve: Serve the Kua Kling immediately, accompanied by steamed rice, sliced cabbage, chopped herbs, sliced avocado, chopped cucumber, and a fried egg for a complete and authentic Southern Thai meal experience.
Notes
- You can adjust the number of chiles to control the spiciness according to your preference.
- If you don’t have fresh makrut lime leaves, freshly grated lime zest works as a good substitute.
- Adding a little water or oil during cooking helps prevent the curry from sticking and burning.
- Traditionally served with rice and fresh accompaniments; feel free to customize the toppings for added texture and flavor.
- This dish is best served immediately to enjoy the fresh aromatic flavors.
Keywords: Kua Kling, Southern Thai curry, ground chicken curry, Thai red curry paste, spicy chicken curry, Thai cuisine
