Mud crab wok-cooked in a glossy sweet-savory tomato-chili sauce with ginger, garlic, fermented bean paste, and egg
Singapore chili crab is one of the city’s signature seafood dishes: mud crab cooked in a bright, glossy sauce that is spicy, sweet, savory, and gently tangy rather than simply fiery. Fresh chilies, ginger, garlic, tomato, and fermented soybean paste give the sauce its foundation. Egg is streamed in at the end to form soft ribbons, and the dish is served with mantou for collecting every drop.
- Prep
- 35 mins
- Cook
- 25 mins
- Total
- 1 hour
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cuisine
- Singaporean
The recipe
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Before you start
Clean the crab over a bowl to catch any coral or tomalley, discard the gills and inedible mouth parts, and crack the claws. Pat the pieces dry and dust only the cut sides lightly with cornstarch. Blend the chili paste smooth. Mix the ketchup, tomato paste, taucheo, soy, vinegar, sugar, and stock before heating the wok.
Ingredients
For the crab
For the aromatic paste
For the chili sauce
For thickening and finishing
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Large wok with lid paid link
- Cleaver paid link
- Crab crackers paid link
- Blender paid link
- Chef’s knife paid link
- Cutting board paid link
- Wooden spatula paid link
- Digital kitchen scale paid link
Method
Season the crab lightly with salt and dust the exposed flesh with 30 g cornstarch.
Heat the oil in a large wok over high heat. Sear the crab in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until the shells begin turning red, then transfer to a tray.
Lower the heat to medium and add the blended chili, shallot, garlic, and ginger paste to the same wok.
Fry for 6 to 8 minutes until aromatic, thickened, and no longer raw.
Stir in the prepared ketchup mixture and any reserved crab coral or tomalley.
Return the crab and its juices to the wok, coat thoroughly, cover, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the pieces once.
Check that the shell is bright red and the meat at the thickest joint is opaque.
Mix 25 g cornstarch with 60 ml cold water. Stir enough slurry into the bubbling sauce to make it glossy and lightly thick.
Reduce the heat and pour the beaten egg in a thin stream while making one or two broad strokes through the sauce.
Finish with sesame oil, spring onions, and coriander, then serve immediately with plenty of sauce.
Chef’s notes
Ask the fishmonger to clean and portion the mud crab if handling live shellfish is unfamiliar.
Cracking the claws before cooking makes them easier to eat and allows sauce to enter.
Cornstarch slurry settles quickly. Stir it again immediately before adding and use only as much as needed.
After adding the egg, stir minimally so distinct soft ribbons form instead of small scrambled curds.
Tips and variations
Fresh red chilies give aroma and color; retain some seeds for a hotter result.
Taucheo contributes fermented savoriness. Mash it well so no overly salty pieces remain.
Use seafood stock made from crab or prawn shells when available, but water still produces a clean sauce.
Fry or steam mantou immediately before serving so its surface is ready to absorb the sauce.
Serve with
Arrange the crab on a large oval platter with the claws facing outward and pour the egg-ribbon chili sauce over and around it. Supply crab crackers, picks, and finger bowls.
Storage
Cooked crab is best eaten immediately. Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days. Reheat only once until steaming. Do not leave shellfish at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
- 720 kcal
- Calories
- 49 g
- Protein
- 58 g
- Carbohydrates
- 31 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 30 g
- Sugar
- 1680 mg
- Sodium
Allergens
Contains crustaceans, eggs, soy, and sesame. Taucheo and soy sauce may contain wheat. Ketchup and fermented bean paste may contain additional additives, so verify labels.
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Questions
Is Singapore chili crab extremely spicy?
Usually no. The sauce balances chili with tomato, sweetness, savoriness, and acidity.
Can I use another crab?
Blue swimmer crab works, but large mud crab provides the meatiest claws and classic presentation.
Why add egg?
The egg forms delicate ribbons, softens the sauce, and is characteristic of many modern chili crab preparations.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes. Prepare it without crab, slurry, egg, sesame oil, and fresh garnish; refrigerate for up to 3 days and finish with fresh crab.
