Thai crab curry (Pu Pad Pong Kari style)
Fragrant Thai yellow curry with sweet crab meat, coconut and silky egg ribbons — bright, saucy and quick enough for a weeknight feast.
This Thai crab curry borrows from the beloved Pu Pad Pong Kari — a saucy, aromatic affair of yellow curry, coconut and delicate crab meat. It’s gloriously forgiving: bold flavours, quick cooking and a dramatic finish with egg ribbons.
Make this when you want something that feels special but doesn’t take all evening — perfect for a dinner with friends or a midweek treat. Serve with jasmine rice to mop up the luscious sauce.
Ingredients
- 30 ml Thai yellow curry paste
- 400 ml coconut milk — use full-fat for a richer sauce or light to reduce calories
- 600 g white crab meat — picked from shells or pre-prepared, not canned
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs — beaten
- 1 brown onion — medium, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves — finely sliced
- 25 g fresh ginger — finely sliced or julienned
- 30 ml fish sauce
- 15 ml palm sugar — or soft brown sugar
- 5 ml tamarind paste — or 1 tsp lime juice if unavailable
- 4 kaffir lime leaves — torn
- 150 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 3 spring onions — sliced on the diagonal
- 20 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
- 1 red chilli — thinly sliced, to garnish
- 1 lime — juice to finish
- 5 ml curry powder — optional — adds colour and depth
Instructions
Prepare everything before you cook: slice the brown onion, thinly slice the garlic and fresh ginger, halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the spring onions, tear the kaffir lime leaves, chop the fresh coriander and slice the red chilli. Beat the large eggs in a small bowl.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium–high heat until shimmering. Add the brown onion and fry, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until starting to soften and edges begin to colour.
Add the garlic cloves and fresh ginger and continue to fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the Thai yellow curry paste and curry powder and fry for 1–2 minutes, pressing and stirring so the paste releases its aroma but does not burn.
Pour in about two-thirds of the coconut milk (≈260 ml) and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind paste, stir to dissolve, then simmer for 4–5 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened and is glossy.
Add the white crab meat and cherry tomatoes and fold gently into the sauce. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the crab is just heated through and the tomatoes have started to soften.
Reduce the heat to low. Slowly pour the beaten eggs into the simmering curry in a thin stream while stirring gently to create silky ribbons. Cook for 30–60 seconds until the egg is just set.
Stir in the remaining coconut milk (≈140 ml), kaffir lime leaves and spring onions. Warm through for 20–30 seconds, then finish with the lime juice and most of the fresh coriander. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra fish sauce or palm sugar if needed.
Transfer to a warmed serving dish, scatter the remaining fresh coriander and the sliced red chilli over the top, and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice or fragrant rice noodles.
Tips
- If you can, use freshly picked white crab meat for the best texture; pre-cooked crab works fine but warm it gently.
- Don’t let the curry paste burn when frying — cook it briefly in oil to bloom the flavours, then add coconut milk to cool it down.
- Pour the beaten eggs slowly and stir gently to create attractive ribbons; too-fast pouring or vigorous stirring ruins the silky texture.
- Make-ahead: cook the sauce (steps 2–5) and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add crab and eggs only when reheating and serving.
- Leftovers keep well for 1–2 days in the fridge. Reheat gently over low heat to avoid splitting the coconut milk; add a splash of water if it thickens too much.
Substitutions
white crab meat → large cooked prawns (600 g), peeled
Stays closecoconut milk → 200 ml coconut milk + 200 ml light stock for a lighter sauce
Stays closepalm sugar → soft brown sugar, same quantity
Stays closefish sauce → 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp lime juice (not gluten-free if using regular soy)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 550
- Calories
- 34 g
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use canned crab meat?
Yes — drain well and add towards the end to heat through for 2–3 minutes. Canned meat is softer, so be gentle when stirring.
How do I stop the coconut milk from splitting?
Simmer gently rather than boiling. If splitting happens, reduce the heat and whisk in a tablespoon of cold water to help emulsify.
Can I make this spicier or milder?
Adjust the heat by choosing a spicier yellow curry paste or adding extra sliced chilli; to tame it, add a little more coconut milk or a squeeze of lime and a pinch of sugar.
Why do some recipes add egg?
The beaten egg creates soft ribbons and a glossy texture that is traditional to Pu Pad Pong Kari — it mellows the curry and adds silkiness.
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