Description
Singapore Chilli Crab is a beloved seafood dish featuring fresh mud crab cooked in a rich, aromatic, and spicy tomato-based sauce flavored with fermented shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, and chilies. The dish combines a balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors, finished with silky egg ribbons, making it a flavorful and satisfying feast perfect for sharing. Typically served with golden mantou buns, this classic Singaporean recipe brings the bold, vibrant taste of Southeast Asian cuisine to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Crab
- 1.5 kg / 3lb live mud crab or other large, fresh crab
Chilli Paste
- 5 red cayenne chilli, seeds left in, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp taucu paste (fermented soy paste, substitute miso paste)
- 6 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 small eschalots, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp ginger, roughly chopped (~7.5cm / 3″ piece)
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 tbsp belachan dried shrimp paste, chopped (substitute shrimp paste)
- 1 cup tomato passata
- 1/2 cup sweet chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 cups water
Finishing Ingredients
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- Fresh coriander, leaves whole or roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp green onion, finely sliced (or 1/4 cup finely sliced on angle, soaked in ice water 3 minutes for slight curl)
- Golden mantou buns
Instructions
- Prepare Crab: Clean and cut the whole crab into pieces, reserving the tomalley (crab mustard) and crab juices in a separate bowl for later use. These will add rich flavor to the sauce.
- Make Chilli Paste: Combine red cayenne chilies, taucu paste, garlic, eschalots, and ginger in a food processor or Nutribullet. Blitz until the mixture forms a fairly smooth paste.
- Sauté Belachan: Heat canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add belachan dried shrimp paste, cooking and stirring constantly for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Cook Off Chilli Paste: Add the prepared chilli paste to the pot. Stir and cook for 3 minutes to release the aromas and deepen flavors.
- Add Tomato Passata: Pour in the tomato passata and cook, stirring regularly for 4 minutes to reduce and intensify the sauce.
- Add Remaining Sauce Ingredients: Stir in sweet chilli sauce, ketchup, and water until combined.
- Add Crab Claws: Add crab claws first, stirring to coat them thoroughly in the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 minutes to begin cooking the claws.
- Add Crab Mustard and Juices: Stir in the reserved tomalley and crab juices to enrich the sauce with authentic crab flavor.
- Add Remaining Crab Pieces: Remove the lid and add the rest of the crab pieces and any juices collected. Stir to coat, cover again, and cook for 7 minutes until crab is cooked through.
- Remove Crab: Using tongs, transfer the cooked crab pieces into a serving bowl to prepare for finishing the sauce.
- Create Egg Ribbons: With sauce still simmering on the stove, stir it in a circular motion and slowly pour the lightly whisked egg in a thin stream into the middle of the pot to create delicate ribbons of egg in the sauce.
- Add Vinegar: Stir in white vinegar to balance the flavors with a touch of acidity.
- Return Crab to Sauce: Put the crab pieces back into the pot and gently stir to coat them evenly in the sauce.
- Garnish and Serve: Scatter fresh coriander leaves and green onions over the crab. Serve immediately with golden mantou buns to soak up the delicious sauce.
Notes
- When cleaning crab, keep the tomalley (crab mustard) and juices as they add an essential depth to the sauce.
- Leaving seeds in the cayenne chili adds extra heat; adjust based on spice preference.
- Taucu paste can be substituted with miso paste if unavailable.
- Eschalots can be replaced with shallots.
- Belachan is a fermented shrimp paste that adds pungency and umami; for milder flavor, reduce quantity slightly.
- Tomato passata is pureed strained tomatoes, readily available in most supermarkets.
- Golden mantou buns are lightly fried or steamed Chinese buns that complement the sauce perfectly.
