Singapore-Style Chili Crab

Singaporean Chili Crab / Lobster

Chili crab is a Singaporean seafood dish. It is crab stir-fried with ginger, garlic, shallots and chilies  in a thick, sweet and savory egg and tomato sauce. Despite its name, the dish is not very spicy. Mud crabs are typically used in this dish but I didn’t use mud crabs. I didn’t even use crab. Instead, I used lobster. The dish still came out super delicious, as if I were in a hawker stall in Singapore. Just remember to wear a bib as it can get super messy. Recipe below. Enjoy!

Thank you for your sacrifice!

Singapore-Style Chilli Crab

Serves 2

Ingredients

Lobster / Crab

• 2-3 lbs whole lobster/crabs

Aromatics

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3-6 fresh chili peppers (slice thin)
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger (peel and chop finely)
• 1 large shallot (peel and finely chop)
• 1 whole head garlic (about 8 cloves)

Sauce Mixture

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon soybean paste
• 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
• 4 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt

Thickening agents

• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 eggs (beaten)

Garnish

• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro/green onions (optional)

Instructions

1. When working with any seafood, make sure to clean it properly to get rid of the strong fishy smell. Get into all the nooks and cranny with a small brush and rinse several times. Cut crab or lobster into bite-size pieces. If there's any roe, scoop it out and set aside. The roe would be a great addition to the sauce mixture below if preferred.
2. In a large wok with a lid, heat up vegetable oil on medium high. Add all the aromatics in once (chili peppers, ginger, shallot and garlic) and saute until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
3. To the wok, add water, soybean paste, sugar, tomato sauce and salt. Add roe here if there's any. Mix until combined.
4. Add crab/lobster. Cover the wok with a lid and simmer on medium-high for 10 minutes. Occasionally toss to cover lobster/crab in sauce.
5. After 10 minutes, remove lid. In a small bowl, mix together tapioca starch with cold water until completely dissolved. Add this slurry mixture to the wok and simmer on medium-high without lid until sauce thickens.
6. Add beaten eggs and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Transfer crab/lobster to a large serving platter and garnish with chopped cilantro or green onions (optional). Serve by itself or with steamed rice or steamed buns for a full meal.

Singaporean Chili Crab / Lobster