By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up minorgan@yahoo.ca
Singapore Chili Crab
On a visit to Singapore as few years ago I was completely blown away by the variety of food available in this amazing island city. Your choices are endless. I had one of the very best Indian meals I have ever had in Singapore’s Little India. The best places to eat and savour the authentic cuisine in Singapore are at its myriad of hawker food stalls where you can enjoy three very fresh and substantial meals for under $10!
The hawker centres in Singapore are owned by three government bodies, namely the National Environment Agency (NEA) under the parent Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), Housing and Development Board (HDB) and JTC Corporation. All the centres owned by HDB and NEA, in turn, are regulated by NEA with the individual Town Councils managing the HDB owned centres. JTC owned centres are self-managed and the level of hygiene is exemplary. (1)
One of the national dishes of Singapore is the chilli crab, it’s messy to eat, but oh so delicious nd not as it implies very spicy at all!
Chilli crab has its origins in Singapore. The recipe was created in 1950 by Singaporean chef, Madam Cher Yam Tian with her husband, Mr Lim Choon Ngee. The couple ran Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant on Upper East Coast Road. Mud crabs are commonly used and are stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet and savoury tomato and chilli based sauce. Chilli Crab can be widely found at Malaysian and Singaporean seafood hawker stalls and restaurants.
(1) Wikipedia
Ingredients
1 lb live crab (Dungeness)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
8 fresh red chilli, roughly chopped
1 egg
2 spring onions (scallions), cut into finger length
1 tsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 small bunch coriander plant (cilantro)
Mix together for Sauce
1 cup of water, 5 tbsp tomato catsup, 1 1/2 to 3 tbsp sugar, or according to taste, 1 1/2 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp pounded brown preserved soya beans or dark miso (optional), 1/4 tsp salt
Method
Heat the oil in a wok or shallow saucepan over high heat.
Add garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the chilli, stir-fry till fragrant.
For mud crabs, add at this stage. Fry well till shells start turning red, add sauce ingredients stir well, cover with lid and simmer till shells are red.
Break eggs into the wok and streak with a fork, simmer till cooked. Squeeze lime juice over and stir in scallions. Mop up the mouth-watering gravy with white bread or Chinese mantou (buns).
