Thai cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Khao Kaeng Pu

Southern Thai crab curry with turmeric and Chinese ginger, spooned generously spicy over jasmine rice.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 300 g jasmine rice
• 400 g crab meat (or North Sea crab as a substitute)
• 600 ml coconut milk
• 10 dried chilies (mild, e.g. Kashmiri)
• 5 shallots
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 40 g krachai (fingerroot, or galangal as a substitute)
• 2 stalks lemongrass
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (kapi)
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp palm sugar

Instructions

1. Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 15 min., remove the seeds and pound in a mortar with shallots, garlic, turmeric, krachai, chopped lemongrass and shrimp paste to a fine paste.
2. Cook the washed jasmine rice in 500 ml water, covered, for 12 min. and then let it steam further for 10 min.
3. Boil half the coconut milk in a pot, uncovered, for 5 min. until the oil separates, then stir in the curry paste and fry for 4–5 min. until it turns deep orange and very fragrant.
4. Pour in the remaining coconut milk, season with fish sauce and palm sugar, and simmer over low heat for 10 min. until the curry is thick and creamy.
5. Cut the green beans into 4 cm pieces, cook along for 5 min., then add the crab meat and let it heat through for only 3 min. so it stays tender.
6. Spoon the rice into deep bowls, place the crab curry alongside and serve hot.