Thai Curry Crab: The Hidden Gem of Thai Cuisine 

Crab curry stir fry or pu pad pong garee is a classic Thai dish and a mainstay of Thai seafood restaurants. It's so good it's easily in my top 5 Thai seafood dishes. Yet, it's almost unknown outside of Thailand as very few Thai restaurants offer it.

Why? Probably because crab is expensive, and also because...well...it's not the prettiest dish you've ever seen, as you'll see, though it does dress up nicely. But it is out-of-this-world delicious AND extremely easy and quick to make. Perfect for some weeknight luxury. 

What is Pu Pad Pong Garee?

Pu (pronounced bpoo) means crab, pad means to stir-fry, and pong garee means curry powder. But the name omits a key element: eggs. So more accurately it's crab stir fried in a soft custard flavoured with curry powder.

There are two versions of this dish: the original version uses a whole crab, still in the shell, chopped up into chunks and tossed into the stir fry (pic below). You can imagine how that would be a total pain to eat though - having to pick crab meat out from the gooey shell that's covered in a custardy sauce - so it is not my preference. So my family always opt for the other version that uses crab meat only. It's more expensive, but totally worth it.

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients for this dish with explanations. For amounts, see the full recipe card below.

The Custard

• Thai chili paste or nam prik pao. You can buy this from Asian grocery stores, or you can make it at home using my nam prik pao recipe here. If you don't have it, you can omit it and substitute about a teaspoon of sugar (the chili paste is quite sweet), but the flavour will be a little different.
• Chili oil. Typically we use the chili oil that sits on top of the Thai chili paste when you buy it. If you don't have enough of this left, substitute any other kind of chili oil. This is added mostly for colour; because without the red, the curry powder will leave the dish a sort of yellow and that's not, to put it delicately, very...um...appetizing.
• Evaporated milk. You may be surprised by this seemingly non-Thai ingredient. Traditionally we use coconut milk to add creaminess, but in more modern recipes such as this, you'll see evaporated milk used where a more neutral flavoured creaminess is desired. Creamy tom yum soup is another dish where evaporated milk is used (and it's totally delish btw). But you can use coconut milk instead and it will still be excellent.
• Eggs
• Oyster sauce. See my post on choosing the best oyster sauce.
• Fish sauce. See my post on how to choose the best fish sauce.
• Ground white pepper.

The Stir Fry

• Fresh crab meat. You want this as chunky as possible, so no canned crab! I used dungeness cuz I'm in the West Coast, but blue crab would be even better. You can also make a shrimp version which is less common, but still good. Precook the shrimp first and proceed with the recipe as usual.
• Onion, if you have sweet onion, it's really good in this.
• Garlic, chopped.
• Curry powder. My preference is Japanese SB brand. If you can find it, the most popular brand in Thailand is Waugh's curry powder (made in England).
• Celery leaves and thinly sliced stalk. I am using this as a substitute for Chinese celery, which is what is used in Thailand. 
• Julienned red chilies or bell pepper, optional for garnish. If you're serving guests, garnishes are VERY important because, ungarnished, this dish does not look great to be frank, lol.
• Optional: fresh chilies. This dish is typically not spicy, but it is quite tasty when it's got a little bit of heat. So you can add some chopped Thai chilies, or even chili powder.
• Jasmine rice for serving.
• Condiment: Though not necessary, Prik Nam Pla is a great condiment for this dish because the zing offsets the richness. A little sprinkle with some chili pieces for some heat would suffice. 

How to Make Thai Curry Crab

This recipe is easy but it goes FAST so you need to know exactly what you're doing once the wok is on. You also need to know the consistency you're looking for in order to not turn the whole thing into scrambled eggs. So I highly recommend you watch the video tutorial in the recipe card before you cook in order to ensure success!

1. Combine the Thai chili paste and chili oil with a splash of the evaporated milk and whisk until the chili paste is no longer clumpy.
2. Add the remaining evaporated milk, eggs, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and white pepper. Whisk until smooth.
3. In a nonstick wok or skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in oil for a couple minutes on medium heat; just until the onion is softened slightly but is still crunchy.
4. With the heat on medium and no higher, add the curry powder and stir to mix with the oil for literally 5-10 seconds.

5. Add the crab meat and gently toss to heat it up for 10-15 seconds, being careful not to break up the crab.
6. Add custard and stir constantly, scraping the bottom, until it looks creamy and thick.
7. Turn off the heat and add the celery and plate immediately so that the eggs will not overcook in the residual heat of the pan.
8. Garnish with more celery leaves, red pepper and some extra crabmeat, if desired. Serve with rice!

Tips For Success

This recipe is pretty simple, but there are a few tips to keep in mind for best results.

1. I like to use a rubber spatula instead of a wok spatula for this as you'll need to scrape the eggs off the bottom constantly. It's also more gentle on the crab and won't break it up too much.
2. The texture of this dish is soft and creamy, so you want the onion to still be crunchy otherwise the whole dish will lack textural variety...in other words, it'll all be mush. So don't overcook the onions or cut them too small.
3. Do not use high heat, especially when you add the curry powder, or you might burn it. Also, if you don't work fast enough, a high heat will overcook the eggs quickly.

What to Serve with Pu Pad Pong Garee

This is a dish that I don't think should be the only thing you're serving in the meal. It's rich, creamy, and soft, and could really benefit from another dish that is light and has some crunch for texture. 

Garlicky cabbage stir fry is a super easy one if you want to keep the meal simple, or one of these Thai salads would provide the bright acidity that will complement the dish well. 

FAQ