Is Thai Curry Healthy? (Thai Curry Crab Without Milk)

One of my favorite local dishes from Phuket was this delicious Thai curry crab. The aromatic curry paste paired with the succulent crab meat had me not only ordering this dish multiple times but dreaming about how I could remake this at home, as I couldn't recall any restaurants at home that had this. In the Western world, Thai curry is undeniably a favorite at our local Thai restaurants -- but is Thai curry healthy?

Thai curry is not the healthiest given that they're usually mixed with a heavy portion of coconut milk, which is very caloric and packed with fats. Thai curry is often also served with a side of rice, which adds on additional carbs of not portioned correctly. A single serving of Thai curry can be upwards of 700 calories! This makes it a less than ideal food choice for those trying to stay fit.

So imagine how excited I got when I realized I figured out to make a low calorie version of it. With a few recipe modifications, I was able to make this recipe with only 260 calories with 38 grams of protein!

Jump to:

• 🍎 Calories and Nutrition – Is Thai Curry Healthy?
• 🍏 How to Make It Healthy – The Fitsian Method
• 💡Tips and Tricks
• 📋 Ingredient Notes
• 🔪 Step by Step Instructions
• 🍳 Recipe

🍎 Calories and Nutrition – Is Thai Curry Healthy?

Thai curries traditionally consists of a protein mixed in a coconut based curry sauce and served with a side of rice. Coconut milk adds about 250 calories per ½ cup mostly from fat, and rice can easily be overeaten if not portioned correctly. This makes Thai curry a less ideal meal choice for those trying to stay fit. To get a better understanding of the nutrition profile of Thai curry, let's take a look at each of the components that go into a Thai curry.

• Protein Source: Thai curry is can be served with a variety of different protein choices including chicken, beef, pork, or seafood. For the purposes of making a low calorie dish, it's best to choose a lean protein, such as chicken or seafood.
• Curry Sauce: Thai curry sauce is often made of 2 components -- the curry paste and coconut milk. The curry paste itself consists of a variety of spices that are either pounded or blended together. If we take a look at the ingredients that make up of the curry paste, we can see that the curry itself is actually just a combination of herbs and spices, which are all flavor with very minimal calories. However, when we look at the coconut milk, we can see that just ½ cup of coconut milk can add a whopping 250 calories given its high fat content. This makes it a less than ideal ingredient to include for weight loss purposes.
• Base: Given the heavy flavor of curry, it is often served with a side of rice to balance out the meal. Rice is a vital part of this dish and carbs are definitely a necessary part of our diet. However, it’s important to portion this mindfully as carbs can easily add up calorie-wise if not portioned correctly, hindering progress towards your fitness goals.

Looking at each component, it’s easy to see that Thai curry is a high calorie, high fat and carb heavy dish, despite having a decent amount of protein. These factors make it less than ideal for dieting purposes. Luckily, during my month abroad in Phuket, I also discovered a stir fried version crab curry dish that omitted the coconut milk, allowing for a less heavy and equally delicious version of the Thai yellow crab curry.

🍏 How to Make It Healthy – The Fitsian Method

By choosing lean protein sources and omitting high calorie ingredients, I was able to make this delicious Thai curry crab recipe omitting Here are all the steps I took to make this low calorie and low fat curry:

• Used crab meat for protein source - crab has a very impressive nutrition profile, with only 90 calories for every 3oz serving. Not too mention, it's absolutely delicious!
• Made curry paste at home for ultimate flavor and calorie control - fresh made curry is literally only spices and herbs
• For the curry sauce, I stir fried the curry paste with the protein, omitting the usage of coconut milk and substituted with water to help achieve the desired texture for the sauce
• Portioned out 3-4oz of crab meat
• Mixed in an egg to achieve a creamy effect for the sauce and add a protein boost

For a detailed breakdown of each ingredients, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of this low calorie Thai curry crab recipe, you may refer to the table below:

💡Tips and Tricks

What is galangal? What are kaffir lime leaves? And where do I find them? Or how can I substitute for them?

Galangal is an herb popular in Thai cooking that looks similar to ginger, with strong citrus notes. Kaffir lime leaves are another popular Thai herb that are leaves from the makrut lime fruit. Both of these ingredients are relatively more rare to find than the average exotic herb -- I was only able to find them at specialized Vietnamese or Thai grocers. You can buy dried versions online, or substitute galangal with a similar portion of ginger and squeeze of lemon. If you cannot find kaffir lime leaves, feel free to leave out. 

What other proteins can I cook this recipe with?

While crab is delicious, it's not always the easiest protein source to cook with. This recipe will go well with most seafoods, such as shrimps or squid, as well as some juicy chicken thigh.

What side dishes go well with the yellow crab curry?

Given how flavorful the curry is, I would definitely recommend pairing it with a side of rice and some relatively lightly seasoned vegetables.

Make the curry paste in a mortar and pestle or blender?

Thai curry paste is traditionally made in a mortar and pestle, as it breaks out the juices for a stronger flavor. However, if you don't have one or would prefer not to use one, a blender would also work.

How do I cook with lemongrass?

Lemongrass are long, stalky herbs with a wood-like texture. When using, you will need to peel it back a few layers to reach the white fleshy part. Then, cut the lemongrass in thin slices starting from the white, fleshy bottom the purple inner rings begin to disappear. For more information about how to cook with lemongrass, check out this article from The Spruce Eats on How to Prepare Lemongrass.

If you liked this recipe, check out the following: 

• My Crab Fried Rice recipe, another one of my favorite Thai seafood dishes. 
• Low calorie recipes that are still high in proteins are the number one more important recipes to consume when trying to stay fit. If you love Thai foods similar to this recipe, check out some of my favorite low calorie and protein packed Thai food recipes in my Low Calorie Thai Foods Guide.
• For more recipes that take traditionally indulgent meals and turn them healthy, check out my Cheating Cheat Meals recipe collection.
• Butternut Squash Curry for a fall rendition of a Thai curry recipe

📋 Ingredient Notes

Curry Paste

• 1 teaspoon Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Galangal
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 Shallot, minced
• 1-2 Kaffir Lime Leaves
• 1-3 Thai chilis (Based on spice tolerance)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Cilantro roots
• 1 stalk Lemongrass
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric

Crab and Stir Fry

• 3oz Crab
• 1-2 Mushrooms (Sliced)
• 1 Scallion, sliced diagonally
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 Red Chili Pepper
• ¼ cup Water (Use as needed)
• 1 tablespoon Fish sauce (Or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar (Or to taste)
• 1 Egg
• Cilantro and/or Thai Basil (For garnish)

🔪 Step by Step Instructions

1. We will start by preparing the ingredients for the curry paste. Start by preparing the lemongrass by peeling off the outer few layers and cutting off the leafy top half of the stalk. Thinly slice the white stalky portion of the remaining stalk -- you should see smaller purple-color circles on the inside of the slices. Slice until the purple color stops.
2. Mince the shallot, galangal, and ginger. Remove the cilantro roots. Fold the kaffir lime leaves in half along the stem and de-stem before slicing.
3. Combine all the curry paste ingredients (except for the turmeric, as we don't want to stain our mortar and pestle) into a mortar and pestle and begin grinding until you get a rough paste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, a blender will also work.

4. Next, we will prepare the stir fry ingredients. mince the garlic and shallots and slice the mushrooms, scallions and chili pepper. Heat a skillet and spray cooking oil. Begin by adding the curry paste and add in the turmeric at this time to add the yellow color. Adding in the turmeric at this step prevents you from staining the mortar and pestle. Keep stirring the ingredients in the pan to prevent burning.
5. Begin to add in the vegetables and crab meat, cooking for about 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Add in water as needed to deglaze the pan and help mix the curry paste throughout the dish. Season with fish sauce and sugar as needed, tasting and adjusting until you achieve your desired taste.
6. Turn heat to low and crack in an egg. Mix thoroughly with the rest of the dish. This will give the dish a delicious creamy egg like texture.
7. Remove the dish from heat, garnish with cilantro and/or Thai basil, and enjoy your delicious protein and flavor packed crab curry!

 

🍳 Recipe