andrejthechef
SingaporeSeafoodDinnerDairy-free

Singapore Chilli Crab

Mud crab in a sweet, tangy tomato-chilli sauce thickened with ribbons of egg, served with fried mantou buns for dipping.

prep
30 min
cook
25 min
total
55 min
serves
4
level
hard
Singapore Chilli Crab, a Singapore hawker classic

This is the dish most visitors to Singapore end up chasing, and it is less about heat than people expect. The sauce is sweet and tangy first, with the chili sitting underneath rather than on top of everything else.

Expect a mess. You eat this with your hands, crack the shell at the table, and use the fried mantou to get the last of the sauce off the plate. That is the whole point, not a flaw in the design.

Part of our 20 best Singapore recipes list.

method

  1. If using a live crab, have your fishmonger clean and crack it, or do it yourself: remove the top shell, gills and guts, and crack the claws and legs with the back of a knife.

  2. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and chili paste and stir-fry for 1 minute, until fragrant.

  3. Add the ketchup, stock, sugar and soy sauce, and bring to a simmer.

  4. Add the crab pieces, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until the shell is bright red and the meat is cooked through.

  5. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer for 1 minute, until the sauce thickens slightly.

  6. Lower the heat, pour in the beaten egg in a thin stream while stirring gently, so it sets into loose ribbons rather than a solid clump. Scatter over the scallions.

  7. While the crab cooks, deep-fry the frozen mantou in 180°C (355°F) oil for 2 to 3 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve alongside the crab for mopping up the sauce.

chef's tips

  • The egg goes in last and only needs a gentle stir. Overmixing turns it into scrambled egg instead of the silky ribbons the sauce is known for.
  • Mud crab is traditional and worth seeking out from an Asian grocer, but Dungeness crab is a reasonable substitute most places actually carry.
  • Fried mantou are not a garnish here. The whole dish is built around having something to mop up the sauce with.
  • Buy the crab already cleaned and cracked if you can. It is messy, specialized work, and most fishmongers will do it for you on request.