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Sunday, September 7, 2014

Singapore Chilli Crab


If you are in Singapore or if you are from Singapore, what seafood dish do you like? I have a few personal favourites. Of which, this is also one of my family's favourite especially mummy's. Each time we have a family celebration, this dish never fail to make it to our dinner table whether we are at home or dining outside.

In case you are wondering what dish it is, it's the Singapore Chilli Crab. You may wonder why is it called the Singapore chilli crab when there's chilli crab sold even in Malaysia. This dish was created in 1950s by Madam Cher of Roland restaurant. Madam Cher would usually steam crabs and eat them plain like how the Teochews would generally eat it. However, upon her husband's request, she decided to cook crabs a different way by stir frying it with tomato sauce with some chilli sauce. And hence, chilli crabs were invented in Singapore.



I remember when I was younger, my parents used to bring us to Jumbo seafood to eat chilli crabs and each time we were there, we were all so excited about it. Back then, there was no deep fried mantous and just plain white rice to pour the chilli crab gravy all over. It was simply shiok!!

Now, we never go back to Jumbo seafood anymore but instead, we replicate this at home.

I've researched several recipes but it's pretty hard to find one that uses only Maggi ketchup sauce and chilli sauce like how Madam Cher does. Finally, I found one that was from here which was the Singapore chilli crab recipe demonstrated by Chef Eric Teo.

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

2 kg live Sri Lanka crabs
3 tbsp cooking oil
500ml chicken stock
4 tbsp Maggi chilli sauce
300ml Maggi ketchup sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
2 stalks coriander leaves

Chilli Paste:

20g garlic
30g fresh ginger
30g shallots
20g chilli padi
10 pcs candlenuts / buah keras
40g fresh galangal
250ml cooking oil

Thickening glaze:

2 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp water
(mix both corn starch and water well together)

Method:
  1. Blend all the ingredients from the chilli paste with 250ml cooking oil in a blender then set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and stir fry the chilli paste until fragrant for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add chicken stock, chilli sauce, ketchup suace, sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes.
  4. Add the crabs and simmer uncovered, tossing the crabs in the gravy several times, until cooked in about 10 minutes. 
  5. Add the corn starch mixture to the sauce and stir until it thickens. 
  6. Add the beaten egg mixture and stir gently until soft.
  7. Transfer the chilli crab and gravy onto a wide dish and garnish with coriander leaves.
  8. You may serve with deep fried mantous or plain white rice or even sliced french loaf.
See my Singapore chilli crab version below. Guess what? The family really love it and say that the gravy is really very addictive. As for me, I love the sweet and sourish taste from the ketchup together with the tinge of spicyness in it. Yes, I definitely love this classic. What about you?



I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest #11 Sept 2014 : Singapore hosted by Life can be Simple.



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