Nakhon Si Thammarat · Dry-Fried Curry

Khua Kling (Bone-Dry Chili Curry)

Photo: Zheng Zhou / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

There's no coconut milk and barely any liquid at all — the meat is fried directly in its own curry paste until every trace of moisture cooks off, leaving a dish that's almost more spice than meat.

Minced pork, beef or chicken is stir-fried with a densely pounded paste of dried chilies, turmeric, lemongrass and galangal until completely dry, then finished with a heavy scatter of shredded fresh kaffir lime leaves. It's sold by weight at southern market stalls as an intensely spicy side to a plate of rice.

Why it's made this way: The bone-dry cooking style is a hallmark of Nakhon Si Thammarat's cuisine, built to keep without refrigeration in a hot coastal climate.