Pu Pad Pong Curry (Thai Crab Stir-Fry with Egg and Curry Powder)

Quick answer

Total time: 25 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 3 servings
Ingredients: 15

About this dish

Pu pad pong curry is a Sino-Thai stir-fry of crab with a sauce made from mild curry powder, eggs, and evaporated milk.

Unlike a coconut-based Thai curry, it cooks quickly in a wok. Nam prik pao, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and white pepper season the custard-like sauce without covering the sweetness of the crab. The egg mixture should remain soft and glossy, not dry like scrambled eggs. Chinese celery and scallions go in at the end so their aroma stays distinct. Measure the sauce before heating the wok, then cook the crab only long enough to warm it through.

Ingredients (3 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
cooked lump crab meat	300	g
large eggs	2	ea
evaporated milk	60	ml
mild curry powder	1	tbsp
nam prik pao (Thai roasted chili paste)	1	tbsp
light soy sauce	1.5	tbsp
oyster sauce	0.5	tbsp
sugar	1	tsp
ground white pepper	0.25	tsp
garlic	3	clove
yellow onion	0.5	ea
long red chili	1	ea
Chinese celery	40	g
scallions	2	stalk
neutral cooking oil	2	tbsp

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Heat

Pick any shell or cartilage from 300g cooked crab meat and pat it gently with paper towels.

Mince the garlic, then slice the onion, red chili, Chinese celery, and scallions so everything is ready for the wok.
2

Season

Whisk 2 eggs in a bowl until the whites are fully loosened.

Mix in 60ml evaporated milk, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 tablespoon nam prik pao, 1.5 tablespoons light soy sauce, 0.5 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 0.25 teaspoon white pepper.
3

Control

Heat a wok over medium-high heat, then add 2 tablespoons neutral oil.

Stir-fry the garlic and onion for 60-90 seconds, until the onion edges turn translucent and the garlic smells fragrant without browning.
4

Finish

Add the reserved 1 teaspoon curry powder and the red chili, then stir-fry for 10 seconds.

Lower the heat to medium, pour in the egg sauce, wait 10 seconds for the edges to set, then fold with a spatula for 30-45 seconds to form soft, moist curds.
5

Season

Add the crab and Chinese celery, then fold gently from the bottom for 60-90 seconds without breaking up the lumps.

Stop cooking as soon as the crab is hot and the egg sauce coats it with a glossy layer.
6

Finish

Turn off the heat, add the scallions, and fold only two or three times.

Transfer to a plate and serve immediately while the sauce is still soft and flowing.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Mild curry powder blooms in the wok without the density of curry paste
Finish cue: Transfer to a plate and serve immediately while the sauce is still soft and flowing.
Avoid this: Do not replace the curry powder with Thai yellow curry paste.