Thai Crab Curry Recipe (Boo Paht Pong Karee)

This Thai recipe for stir-fried crab in curry sauce, Boo Paht Pong Karee, is unique in Thai cuisine, as it is prepared with dry curry powder and sometimes fresh milk. Normally, Thai curries are prepared with a curry paste of fresh spices and coconut milk. Almost every recipe for this classic Thai dish adds oyster sauce, nam prik pao, white pepper, egg, fresh chilies and Chinese celery.

Ingredients:

• 1 large Dungess crab
• 1 fresh red mildly spicy chili, diagonal sliced
• 2 stalks of Chinese celery, sliced 1 inch length
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon tapioca flour, dissolved in a small amount of water
• 2 Tablespoon milk or coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• Vegetable oil for stir-fried

Seasoning Sauce Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon Maggi seasoning sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Thai light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 ½ Teaspoons roasted chili paste (nam prik pao)

Preparation

1. Clean the crab by removing the shell and chopping into pieces; crack the claws and legs by hitting with the blunt edge of a heavy cleaver.
2. In a wok, heat vegetable oil over a low heat. When hot, fry garlic until aromatic and golden. Add the crab and stir fry for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through. Mix seasoning sauce ingredients with chicken stock. Add to the wok and bring to a boil, stirring. Boil for 3-5 minutes.
3. Add egg to the wok and stir well until cooked. Add milk, tapioca flour, Chinese celery, red chili. Stir well until cooked. Spoon onto a serving plate.