Thai · Authentic-ish Thai
Yellow Curry with Crab
675 kcal a serving, against 787 for the traditional version. That is 112 kcal off, or 14%, with 38.4g of protein. Serves 4. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
The classic starts with a homemade curry paste: yellow curry powder, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, coriander root and a little prawn paste, all crushed together.
What changed, and what each change costs
Coconut cream (400g) and oil (40g) for light coconut milk (450g) and no added oil
The real curry is a coconut oil slick in a bowl. But cream and oil are where most of the fat and calories hide, and coconut cream brings little protein to the party.
What it costs you. You lose that thick, glossy sauce and the hit of richness at the back of your mouth. The curry feels lighter, and a bit thinner. No one will confuse it for a posh restaurant dish, but you can eat a big bowl and still move about afterwards.
Double the crab (from 320g to 640g)
With less coconut, you need something to give the dish body and make it feel like a meal. Crab is low fat, high protein and tastes of luxury even in bulk.
What it costs you. You actually come out ahead here. The flavour is more crabby (in a good way), the bite is better, and the whole thing's less of a sauce with bits and more of a crab dish. Not cheap, but unforgettable.
Cornflour slurry (16g) for thickness
Light coconut milk just doesn't thicken or split the way cream does. A spoonful of cornflour dissolved in water is the classic kitchen cheat to fake body in a sauce.
What it costs you. The sauce turns a touch gloopy and loses some of the cling. It's functional rather than silky, but does the job.
Upped onion (from 150g to 200g) and celery (from 30g to 50g)
With less fat, you can be generous with the veg. More onion and celery bulk out the dish, add a little sweetness, and soak up the curry. If you're skipping fat, you might as well get more fibre.
What it costs you. The sauce is chunkier, and you'll spend longer slicing. The extra veg don't radically change the taste, but you'll notice the bulk.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 787 | 675 |
| Protein | 25.1g | 38.4g |
| Fat | 46.8g | 27g |
| Saturated fat | 32.4g | 21.8g |
| Carbohydrate | 70.2g | 70.5g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3.2g | 5.7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Thai prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. celery, crustaceans, fish, gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
You don't need me to tell you the original is silkier and lands a proper fat bomb, but I'll take the trade. More crab means more bite and more flavour, and you don't have to watch a glossy oil slick drift round your plate. The sauce is a shade thinner, the richness is dialled down, but it's still warm, fragrant and full of crab. No one will feel shortchanged unless they came for the coconut oil. It isn't creamy luxury; it's a shellfish feast, and I'll stand by it.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Thai, along with 50 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.