Singapore Chilli Crabs
This is one of my favourite chilli crab recipes, the famous Singapore chilli crabs have apparently many versions, depending whether you are Chinese, Malay or Indian. A friend, Irene, gave this recipe to me a long time ago, and she’s Chinese and this version is more popular in the restaurants. It’s tried and tested so many times, and each time I would modify it. So if you are game, try it, it can only be as spicy or not, as you want it to be:
Ingredients: 1.5kg crabs; 10 shallots; 2 garlic; 1 inch ginger; 2 tbsp light soya sauce; 2 tbsp vinegar; 1 tsp sesame oil; 2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 4 tbsp water; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 egg; 340ml water; 5 tbsp tomato ketchup; 5 tbsp chilli sauce; 2-3 fresh red chillies (what I do usually is to taste as I cook, and if it’s not spicy enough, I would add a tbsp or two of chilli powder), salt to taste, cooking oil.
Method:
Prepare the sauce: In a bowl, mix light soya sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, 340ml water, ketchup and chilli sauce, salt , mix well.
Prepare the crabs : Clean and cut into four (depends on the size), chop off pincers to stand alone; crack the shell slightly to allow for the sauce to seep in later. Clean thoroughly and steam the crabs for a while till the colour turns red. Put aside.
Blend shallots, ginger, garlic, chilli till smooth. Prepare a large wok (which has cover) and heat some cooking oil. Saute the blended ingredients till fragrant and turns to a nice colour. Once it’s ready, stir in the steamed crabs for few minutes, then add half the sauce and cover the wok for 10 minutes. Then remove the cover, add the rest of the sauce and let it simmer for a bit longer. Taste to ensure salt and sugar and chilli are sufficient.
Beat the egg and pour into the wok and mix well into the crabs. Lastly, add the cornflour which has been mixed with some water into the wok and mix well. This will thicken the sauce.
You are ready to serve! You can eat with rice or bread, or on its own as I usually do, usually with some bread to scrape off the sauce!
Yum yum! This chilli crabs always ensures my husband comes back for dinner:)
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August 1st, 2006 @ 3:23 pm
I think this recipe is very good even if i havent tried it but for sure i will. I am thinking also that maybe i can do this with prawns. Thank you very much for sharing your recipes. You know i really love cooking. More power and God bless you!
August 1st, 2006 @ 9:11 pm
Too bad,no photo
August 1st, 2006 @ 11:53 pm
Your chilli crab recipe sounds lipsmacking & I’m
sure to try it out; you know why, crabs are my
greatest favourite & my mouth is already watering.
Thanks for keeping me informed & please continue to do so. God Bless you always.
August 3rd, 2006 @ 6:38 pm
This one is really tasty! Thank you
please do come and visit me sometime. lindacorby.co.uk
August 5th, 2006 @ 3:37 pm
dear thanks a lot for your lovely foods at the moment Iam living at Tehran Iran Ihad cookery courses to run about 20 years and bakery of course Ilove cooking and when my housbend was a PHT student at England Iwas working up there few years in this line but now Iam cooking only for myself and freinds you know Iranians likes get together very much now if you like Ican send some recepies from this side of world God blessyou Parvane
September 6th, 2006 @ 1:58 am
Thank you Nor!!! OMG I made this last night and it was so good. It didn’t taste like what one gets from a seafood restaurant in S’pore, but for home made, it was grrrreeeeaatttt! It was spicer than usual. I had to use dried chili since I can’t find fresh red chilies here in Lompoc, California!
I can’t get fresh crab either so I bought their pre-cooked crab. I was afraid it will loose the flavor, but I was wrong. It was awesome. My youngest step-daughter who can’t handle spicy food but loves crab decided to be brave and have some – she loved it!! I can’t believe it. But her lips were on fire and could only eat very little, although she wanted more. My husband absolutely loved it. I am thinking of cooking this with prawns instead of crab one day.
Thank you so much Nor! Now I can have chili crab when I feel like it and it was simple too.