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Thai Yellow Curry Crab

Name: Thai Yellow Curry Crab
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: thai
Ingredients: crab; Coconut milk; Thai yellow curry powder; fish sauce; oyster sauce; sugar; Egg; Onion; red chili; Chinese celery; scallion; shallot; Garlic; ginger; Shaoxing wine; chicken broth / stock; cornstarch; Cooking oil; Coriander

groups2 servingsspeedMediumcountertopsPrep: 15 minsskilletCook: 10 minsscheduleTotal: 25 minsoutdoor_grillStir-frylocal_fire_departmentMild

Allergens:warningShellfishwarningEggswarningFishwarningMolluscs

Allergen labels are AI-generated and may be incomplete or wrong. If you have a food allergy, always verify every ingredient yourself.

Recipe details are AI-generated from the video and may contain errors — for reference only.

skilletInstruction

12 Steps Total

Preparation

00:00:12

Finely mince 1 shallot and 2 cloves garlic
Cut 2 stalks scallion and 2 stalks Chinese celery into sections
Slice ginger into 4 thin pieces
Cut 1/2 onion into chunks and slice 1 red chili pepper diagonally
Set all aromatics aside

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Watch out

Do not cut the onions too small, otherwise they will turn mushy and lose their crunch during cooking.

Ingredients:shallot (1 piece)Garlic (2 clove)scallion (2 piece)Chinese celery (2 piece)ginger (4 slice)Onion (0.5 piece)red chili (1 piece)

Tools:chef knifecutting board

Preparation

00:00:18

In a bowl, pour in 400ml coconut milk, add 4 tbsp Thai yellow curry powder, 5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, and 2 tbsp sugar
Stir thoroughly with a spoon until seasonings are fully dissolved and blended

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Watch out

Different brands of fish sauce vary in saltiness

Taste the sauce after mixing and adjust the fish sauce if needed

Ingredients:Coconut milk (400 ml)Thai yellow curry powder (4 tbsp)fish sauce (5 tbsp)oyster sauce (1 tbsp)sugar (2 tbsp)

Tools:mixing bowlspoon

Preparation

00:00:58

Crack 2 eggs directly into the prepared curry sauce
Whisk well with a spoon until the eggs are completely blended into a smooth golden-yellow sauce, then set aside

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Watch out

Ensure eggs are fully beaten without large egg white clumps, otherwise the whites will cook into unsightly hard white chunks in the pan.

Ingredients:Egg (2 piece)

Tools:spoon

Preparation

00:01:08

warningStay safe

Raw seafood carries bacteria. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap after handling raw crab and sanitize cutting boards and utensils.

Pat dry the 2 cleaned and chopped crabs thoroughly with paper towels and place them in a bowl
Sprinkle with 1 tbsp cornstarch and toss gently by hand until each piece is lightly and evenly coated

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Watch out

Crab pieces must be dried completely before coating with cornstarch

Excess moisture makes the starch clump and causes dangerous oil splatters in the wok

Ingredients:crab (2 piece)cornstarch (1 tbsp)

Tools:large bowl

Active Cooking

00:01:19

Pour 1 tbsp cooking oil into the wok and heat over high heat
Add the onion chunks and stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the red chili slices and stir-fry for another 20 seconds
Immediately transfer both to a plate and set aside

local_fire_departmentHigh heat, about 1 min 20 sec

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Watch out

Only stir-fry the onion and chili briefly until just tender-crisp

Overcooking will make them watery and soggy

Ingredients:Cooking oil (1 tbsp)Onionred chili

Tools:wokspatulaServing plate

Active Cooking

00:01:41

warningStay safe

Hot oil may splatter when crab pieces hit the wok; maintain a safe distance while stir-frying.

In the same wok, add 1 tbsp cooking oil and 4 ginger slices
Sauté until fragrant, then add the coated crab pieces and stir-fry over high heat until the crab starts turning color and ginger aroma is released

local_fire_departmentHigh heat, about 20 sec

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Watch out

Gently push and toss the crab pieces with the spatula

Avoid chopping down hard to prevent shattering the crab shells into the dish

Ingredients:Cooking oil (1 tbsp)gingercrab

Tools:wokspatula

Active Cooking

00:02:02

Add the minced garlic and shallot to the wok and stir-fry until aromatic
Drizzle 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine around the edges of the wok, then sprinkle in 1 tbsp Thai yellow curry powder
Toss well until the curry powder evenly coats the crab pieces and smells fragrant

local_fire_departmentHigh heat, about 15 sec

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Watch out

Do not add minced garlic and shallots too early, otherwise they will burn and turn bitter from prolonged dry frying.

Ingredients:GarlicshallotShaoxing wine (1 tbsp)Thai yellow curry powder (1 tbsp)

Tools:wokspatula

Active Cooking

00:02:18

Pour in 80ml superior broth (about 1/3 rice bowl) and stir with the crab
Cover the wok with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes until steam rises and the crab meat begins to cook through

local_fire_departmentMedium heat, about 2 minutes

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Watch out

Maintain medium heat while simmering

High heat will evaporate the broth too quickly and scorch the bottom

Ingredients:chicken broth / stock (80 ml)

Tools:wok lid

Active Cooking

00:02:25

Uncover the wok, add the pre-cooked onions and red chili peppers, toss briefly, then place the 2 crab top shells flat and upright on top
Cover with the lid again and simmer over medium heat for 3 minutes until the shells turn bright orange-red and the crab is completely cooked through

local_fire_departmentMedium heat, about 3 minutes

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Watch out

Place crab shells face-up and steady

Do not place them upside down or the rich crab roe will spill out and burn at the bottom

Ingredients:Onionred chilicrab

Tools:wok lidspatula

Active Cooking

00:02:44

After 3 minutes, uncover the wok and add the scallion and Chinese celery sections
Toss quickly with the spatula until the greens are just wilted and fragrant

local_fire_departmentMedium heat, about 10 sec

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Watch out

Scallions and Chinese celery darken easily if overcooked

Simply toss a few times to mix through

Ingredients:scallionChinese celery

Tools:spatula

Active Cooking

00:02:52

Pour in all the prepared yellow curry egg sauce and stir to coat
Turn heat to medium-low
As soon as steam and bubbles rise from the sauce, immediately reduce to low heat and stir-fry continuously for about 1 minute until the egg sets into a silky, thick curry custard coating the crab
Turn off the heat

local_fire_departmentMedium-low to low heat, about 1.5 minutes

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Watch out

The sauce contains coconut milk, sugar, and eggs, which burn very easily

Switch to low heat immediately once steaming and stir constantly, otherwise it will scorch and blacken

Ingredients:Coconut milkEgg

Tools:spatula

Active Cooking

00:03:21

Transfer the curry crab meat and vegetables into a deep serving plate
Place the 2 crab top shells neatly on top, spoon over the remaining silky curry egg sauce from the wok, and garnish with 1 sprig of fresh coriander before serving hot

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Watch out

The freshly cooked crab and sauce are extremely hot

Avoid touching the hot sauce directly with bare hands while plating

Ingredients:Coriander (1 piece)

Tools:Serving Dishspatula