Poo Pad Pong Curry

Name

Of the words that make up the Thai name, ปู (pu) means “crab,” ผัด (phat) means “to stir-fry,” and ผงกะหรี่ (phong kari) means “curry powder.” The name of the dish therefore literally means “crab stir-fried with curry powder.” Romanization is not standardized, and several spellings are used, including pu pad pong kari, pu phat phong kari, and poo pad pong curry.

The word “kari” at the end of the name does not indicate the same style of dish as Japanese curry rice. The key element referred to by the name is curry powder, a blend of spices, and the preparation method differs from that of soupy dishes made with gaeng paste, a traditional Thai paste-based seasoning. In English, the dish is often described as stir-fried crab with curry powder.

Ingredients and preparation

The main ingredient is crab in the shell, cut into pieces of a manageable size. The type of crab varies by restaurant, region, and price range; swimming crabs and related species may be used, while some versions use shelled crabmeat or soft-shell crab for ease of eating. When crab in the shell is used, flavors released from the shell and legs during cooking permeate the dish, although diners must remove the shell while extracting the meat.

In the basic preparation, the crab is stir-fried in oil, curry powder and a seasoning mixture are added, and beaten eggs are then poured in and cooked. Seasonings may include fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and soy-based condiments. Some recipes add milk, unsweetened condensed milk, or evaporated milk to give the eggs a smooth texture. Aromatic vegetables may include onion, scallions, celery, chili peppers, and garlic.

The eggs are often not cooked until fully firm, but are finished at a consistency ranging from soft-set to softly scrambled while absorbing the seasoning mixture and oil. Turmeric in the curry powder gives the dish a yellow to orange color, while versions containing chili oil or chili paste may have reddish oil floating on the surface. The pictured dish also shows yellow, egg-based portions, aromatic vegetables, and red-orange oil.

Typical components

Place in Thai cuisine

Dishes collectively referred to as “curries” in Thai cuisine include several distinct traditions with different origins and preparation methods. These include gaeng dishes, made by pounding herbs and spices into a paste and simmering it with coconut milk or other liquids; massaman curry, which was influenced by Islamic culture; and stir-fries made with curry powder. Pu pad pong kari belongs to the last of these categories.

Curry powder is a premixed blend of several spices rather than a single traditional spice. Its composition varies by product, but it may commonly contain turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and black pepper. Although rooted in the spice culture of South Asia, standardized blends known as “curry powder” spread to many regions through modern international trade. A group of dishes using curry powder also developed in Thailand, and this dish, which combines crab and eggs, is widely served at seafood restaurants and at Thai restaurants outside the country.

Although a particular restaurant is sometimes presented as the dish’s place of origin, sources that conclusively establish a single creator or date of invention are limited. Contributions made by individual restaurants to the dish’s popularization should therefore be distinguished from the origin of the dish itself.

Variations

The method of cooking with curry powder and eggs is also applied to seafood other than crab. Versions made with shrimp are called kung phat phong kari, while those made with squid are called pla muek phat phong kari. In Thai, the name of the dish changes by substituting the name of the main ingredient. Versions made with shelled crabmeat are easier to eat, but because their moisture content and flavor development differ from those made with crab in the shell, the proportions of eggs and seasoning mixture are also adjusted.

At Thai restaurants in Japan, the dish may be served either as a single-plate meal accompanied by rice or as a seafood stir-fry shared among several diners. Although it contains less liquid than typical Japanese-style curry, its thick, egg-based seasoning mixture blends readily with rice, making it well suited to being served with jasmine rice or similar varieties.

Serving and precautions

When crab in the shell is used, diners avoid the shells of the legs and body while extracting and eating the meat. Small fragments of broken shell may become mixed into the eggs or sauce, so care is required when eating. Some restaurants provide crab crackers and receptacles for discarded shells. As the dish may also be eaten using the hands, paper napkins or wet towels can make it easier to handle.

• Crustaceans:Because crab is the main ingredient, the dish cannot be consumed by people with crustacean allergies.
• Eggs:Beaten eggs are mixed throughout the dish and are difficult to remove.
• Milk, wheat, and soy:The use of milk, unsweetened condensed milk, oyster sauce, soy-based seasonings, and similar ingredients varies by recipe.
• Shell:When crab in the shell is used, care must be taken with fragments and sharp edges.

Availability in Osu, Nagoya

The pictured dish was served at Som Tam Osu, a Thai restaurant in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Centered on its shopping arcades, Osu is a district with a concentration of restaurants, offering easy access not only to Japanese cuisine but also to Asian and other international cuisines. Som tam, which appears in the restaurant’s name, is a representative Thai salad made with green papaya.

The pictured serving is a version made with crab in the shell, with onions and green aromatic vegetables added to a stir-fried mixture based on eggs and curry powder. This composition is one of the common ways in which pu pad pong kari made by cooking crab in its shell is served.