Pu Pad Pong Karee
“Whole crab pieces stir-fried in yellow curry powder with eggs poured in to set into soft, savory curds, loosened with evaporated milk and finished with celery and chili. Unlike paste-based Thai curries, it relies on dry curry powder for its mellow, golden warmth.”
Where it comes from
Pu pad pong karee — crab in curry powder — is a celebrated Thai-Chinese seafood dish from Bangkok's restaurant scene, the crab wok-tossed with egg and yellow curry powder into a silky, fragrant sauce. It is a feast dish, eaten with the fingers.
On the plate
Sweet crab meat slips from the shell into a soft, custardy curry that's rich but never heavy, the egg curds catching pools of golden sauce. A whisper of chili and the green snap of celery keep each spoonful lively.
How it works
Frying the crab in-shell first sets the meat and renders flavor into the oil; eggs stirred in off a rolling boil set into tender curds that thicken the sauce, while evaporated milk smooths the curry powder's sharpness.
Variations
Soft-shell crab, prawns or fish fillet versions, milk swapped for coconut milk, with bell pepper
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 3
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓20 min active
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 16 min
Clean the crab and chop into large pieces, cracking the claws.
- 24 min
Lightly fry the crab pieces in oil until the shells turn red, then remove.
- 32 min
Saute garlic, then stir in curry powder and a spoon of chili paste.
- 42 min
Pour in evaporated milk and a little stock, season with oyster and fish sauce.
- 53 min
Return the crab and simmer briefly so it absorbs the sauce.
- 62 min
Drizzle beaten eggs over and gently fold to form soft curds.
- 71 min
Add Chinese celery, spring onion and sliced chili.
- 81 min
Toss once and serve immediately over rice.
