Recipe: Chao Lay curried crab
Serves 4 as a part of a larger Thai meal
- 4-6tbs vegetable oil
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium-sized onion, sliced lengthways
- 3tbs hot curry powder
- 1 large sea crab, cooked, cleaned and cut into pieces
- 400ml tin of evaporated milk
- 2tbs nam pla (fish sauce)
- 1tbs caster sugar
- Good grind of white pepper
- 1tbs chilli oil
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- Small handful of Chinese celery leaves (normal celery leaves will do)
- Small handful of spring onions, cut into 2cm batons
- 2 Thai long red chillies or large red chillies, seeded and slivered
Heat a wok over a high hob and, when hot, pour in the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and onion, and stir fry until fragrant, without letting them colour. Stir in the curry powder, then add the crab. Mix thoroughly to coat the crab in the curry powder, onions and oil. Pour in the evaporated milk and bring to a simmer. Add the nam pla, sugar and white pepper, and stir together.
Using a fork, mix the chilli oil with the eggs until combined. Add the egg mixture to the simmering curry and stir through. Scatter in the celery leaves, spring onions and the chilli, stirring everything through thoroughly. Remove from the heat and serve with rice.
Recipe taken from Heat: Cooking with Chillies, the World's Favourite Spice (reviewed here). Photography by David Munns
