Chilli Crab

Last day of the Chinese dish week and for this post we will be making a Singaporean Chinese dish called Chilli crab.

Chilli crab is one of the most popular dish in Singapore, it is made out of chopped fresh crabs stir fried in a sweet and savoury tomato and chilli based sauce. It was invented by Cher Yam Tian in 1950 when her husband suggested adding bottled chilli sauce to her crabs stir-fried with bottled tomato sauce. She started in a small pushcart and the business grew fast until she opened up a stall 6 years later in the Upper East Coast Road in Singapore. They then opened a restaurant called

Palm Beach in 1963 and sold the business in 1984. In 2000 her son Roland Lim opened a Roland restaurant

using the original recipe.

Despite its name this dish is not really hot, the sauce is semi-thick with hints of sweetness and spiciness but not overpowering. Usually paired with bread like baguette or Chinese buns but it goes well with rice.

Ingredients

3 large crabs
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp chili sauce
juice from half lemon
3 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 long fresh red chilli (sweet and mild variant), sliced
3 pcs dried chillies
spring onion, chopped
peanut oil

Method

1. In a pot add 1 cup of water and crabs, bring to a boil and simmer until crabs are cooked.
2. Remove the top shell of crab and grey gills, cut it in half and crack the legs and claws.
3. In a bowl mix ketchup, chili sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, lemon and 1/2 cup of water.
4. Pour oil in a wok then sauté garlic, ginger, onions and dried chillies in medium heat for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
5. Put heat on high then add the crabs and stir fry for a minute.
6. Pour the sauce and sliced chillies then add the cilantro, continue to stir fry for 5 minutes and make sure crabs are evenly coated with the sauce. Sauce should be reduced to a thicker consistency.
7. Place in a plate then serve garnished with spring oniones.