Recipe courtesy of Buddha Lo
Recipe courtesy of Buddha Lo
Watch how to make this recipe.
Singaporean Chili Crab
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- Level: Advanced
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 1 hr
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 561
- Total Fat
- 35 g
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 47 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Protein
- 16 g
- Cholesterol
- 74 mg
- Sodium
- 581 mg
I grew up enjoying Singaporean chili crab on special occasions. My father would invite me to watch him prepare and cook the dish. Coming from Hong Kong, he added his own touch to the recipe, showing how everyone has their unique version of chili crab. Those times together helped me appreciate both the flavors and the process behind this popular dish.
- Level: Advanced
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 1 hr
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 561
- Total Fat
- 35 g
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 47 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Protein
- 16 g
- Cholesterol
- 74 mg
- Sodium
- 581 mg
Ingredients
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Directions
Special equipment:
sharp kitchen scissors; a hammer or meat mallet; a wok- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cover a small sheet pan with parchment paper and place the belacan shrimp paste on the pan. Toast the shrimp paste in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the crabs into quarters. Gently crack the shells slightly with a hammer or meat mallet. Set aside.
- Add the toasted shrimp paste to a food processor. Add the red chiles, ginger, shallots and garlic and process until smooth. Set aside.
- Gently toss the crab pieces in 1 cup cornstarch to create a light coating. Pour about 3 inches of neutral oil into a wok (about 4 cups) and heat over high heat until it starts to smoke. Carefully add the crab pieces in 3 batches to the oil, starting with the larger pieces first. Cook the crab for 2 to 3 minutes or until the pieces change color. Remove the crab and transfer to a colander set over a pot to drain as they’re done. Drain most of the oil from the wok into a metal container. (Once cool, save this flavored oil for future use or discard it.)
- In the same wok, reduce the heat to medium and add the blended chile mixture. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the crab pieces back to the wok. Stir in the fermented soybean paste and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add 300 grams (about 1 1/4 cups) of water and increase the heat to bring it to a boil. Stir in the sugar, ketchup and salt. Cover and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes.
- Mix the remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water together in a small cup to create a slurry. Gradually stir this mixture into the pan to thicken the sauce. Once thickened, add the beaten egg and cook for an additional minute.
- Dish out the crab, spoon over any sauce that’s in the wok and garnish with chopped scallions and chiles. Serve with steamed Chinese buns.
