Poo Pad Pong Karee

Poo Pad Pong Karee (Thai Crab in Curry Powder)

A Thai-Chinese restaurant classic: sweet crab stir-fried in a wok with yellow curry powder, egg and a splash of evaporated milk to make a thick, golden, savoury sauce. Use pre-cooked crab for food safety and speed.

Prep

20 min

Cook

15 min

Total

35 min

Serves

2

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) cooked crab meat (claw and body), picked over for shell; fresh or pasteurised
• •2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
• •3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• •1 tbsp yellow curry powder, mild Madras-style Thai curry powder (e.g. A1 or Thai yellow curry powder)
• •1 tsp chilli paste in oil (nam prik pao), optional, for colour and gentle heat
• •1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• •1 stalk celery, sliced on the diagonal, Chinese celery preferred; Western celery works
• •100 ml (3½ fl oz) evaporated milk, or coconut milk for a richer, dairy-free version
• •1 tbsp oyster sauce
• •1 tsp light soy sauce
• •1 tsp sugar
• •2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• •2 stalks spring onion, cut into 3 cm pieces
• •1 tsp white pepper

Steps

1. 1 If using raw crab, clean and cut into pieces, then steam or boil for 8–10 minutes until the shell turns bright orange and the meat is opaque (internal temperature of the thickest piece reaches 75°C / 165°F). Cool, then pick the meat from the claws and body, leaving some shell-on pieces for presentation if you like. Pre-cooked crab can be used straight from the fridge.
2. 2 Mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and white pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
3. 3 Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 10–15 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
4. 4 Add the curry powder and chilli paste (if using) and stir for 5 seconds to bloom the spices in the oil.
5. 5 Add the onion and celery; toss for 30–45 seconds so they stay crisp-tender.
6. 6 Add the crab meat and pour in the sauce mixture. Toss for 30 seconds to coat and heat the crab through (if using pre-cooked crab, it only needs to be hot, about 1 minute; if you cooked it yourself, ensure it reaches 75°C / 165°F again).
7. 7 Pour the evaporated milk around the edge of the wok and let it bubble for 10 seconds, then stir to form a loose sauce.
8. 8 Push everything to one side of the wok. Pour the beaten egg into the empty side and let it set for 5–10 seconds, then gently fold it through the crab so it forms soft ribbons rather than scrambling.
9. 9 Add the spring onion, toss once or twice, and remove from the heat immediately - the residual heat will finish cooking the egg.
10. 10 Taste and adjust with a pinch more sugar or soy sauce if needed. Serve at once over steamed jasmine rice.