Description
A bold and iconic Southeast Asian seafood dish featuring fresh crab cooked in a rich, savory-sweet and slightly spicy tomato-chili sauce. Known for its thick, glossy gravy and irresistible flavor, it’s traditionally served with fried mantou buns to soak up every drop.
Ingredients
🛒 Ingredients (for 2–3 servings):
For the Crab:
2 whole mud crabs (about 1–1.2 kg total), cleaned and cut into pieces
2 tablespoons cornstarch (for coating)
Oil for frying
For the Sauce:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2–3 tablespoons chili paste (sambal oelek or similar)
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup chicken stock or water
For Thickening & Finish:
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (slurry)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 green onions, chopped
Optional for Serving:
Fried or steamed mantou buns
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
📝 Instructions:
Step 1: Prepare the Crab
Lightly coat crab pieces with cornstarch. Heat oil in a wok or large pan and fry crab pieces briefly (about 2–3 minutes) until slightly golden. Remove and set aside.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
In the same pan, heat oil and sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add chili paste, ketchup, and chili sauce, stirring well to combine.
Step 3: Build Flavor
Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and stock. Bring to a simmer, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
Step 4: Cook the Crab
Return crab pieces to the pan. Cover and simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the crab is fully cooked and coated in sauce.
Step 5: Thicken & Finish
Stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Slowly drizzle in beaten eggs while stirring gently to create silky egg ribbons.
Step 6: Garnish & Serve
Top with chopped green onions and serve hot with mantou buns or steamed rice.
Notes
- Fresh Crab: Mud crab is traditional, but Dungeness or blue crab works well.
- Spice Level: Adjust chili paste to control heat.
- Texture Tip: The sauce should be thick and clingy, not watery.
- No Fry Option: You can skip frying and simmer the crab directly for a lighter version.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stir-fried / Simmered
- Cuisine: Singaporean