Singaporean chili crab dish (Printable)

Whole crabs cooked in a tangy, spicy tomato chili sauce, paired well with steamed buns or rice.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 2 whole live mud crabs (approximately 3.3 lbs total), cleaned and cut into pieces

→ Sauce Base

02 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3 red chilies, deseeded and chopped
06 - 2 birds eye chilies, chopped (adjust to taste)
07 - 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced

→ Sauce

08 - 0.85 cup tomato ketchup
09 - 2 tablespoons chili sauce (such as Sriracha or sambal oelek)
10 - 1 tablespoon sugar
11 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
12 - 1 teaspoon fish sauce
13 - 0.85 cup chicken or seafood stock
14 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
15 - 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

→ Garnish

16 - 2 spring onions, sliced
17 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
18 - Lime wedges, to serve

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or deep pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 2 minutes until softened.
02 - Incorporate garlic, ginger, red chilies, and birds eye chilies; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until aromatic.
03 - Add crab pieces and toss to coat with aromatics. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until shells turn red.
04 - Pour in tomato ketchup, chili sauce, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and stock. Stir thoroughly to blend.
05 - Bring mixture to boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, turning crab occasionally until cooked through.
06 - Stir in cornstarch slurry to slightly thicken the sauce.
07 - Slowly drizzle beaten eggs into the simmering sauce, stirring gently to form silky ribbons.
08 - Remove from heat. Garnish with sliced spring onions, chopped cilantro, and serve immediately with lime wedges alongside steamed mantou or rice.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce is tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet all at once—it somehow tastes like comfort and adventure on the same plate.
  • Cracking open those claws and getting your hands messy feels like celebration, even on a Tuesday night.
  • It looks far more impressive than it actually is, so your friends will absolutely think you're a better cook than you are.
02 -
  • Don't oversimplify the aromatics step—those 3–4 minutes of building flavor with onion, garlic, ginger, and chilies is where the depth comes from; rushing it results in a sauce that tastes one-dimensional.
  • The cornstarch slurry only works if you stir it right before using it; if it sits for more than a minute, the cornstarch settles and won't incorporate evenly.
  • When you drizzle the eggs in, the sauce needs to be actively bubbling; if it's too cool, the eggs will clump instead of turning into those beautiful ribbons.
03 -
  • If your sauce looks too thin after simmering, make another slurry of cornstarch and water and add it gradually; it's easier to thicken than to fix it if you add too much.
  • The eggs are the final magic touch—if you skip them thinking it doesn't matter, you'll notice the difference immediately; they're what make it feel restaurant-quality instead of just good.
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