Method
- Heat oil in a wide wok or heavy pan over high heat. Stir-fry crab pieces in batches for 3 minutes per batch — the shells turn red-orange and the flesh starts to cook. Lift out.
- In the same pan, fry the garlic, ginger, shallots and minced chilies for 90 seconds until fragrant.
- Add sambal oelek, tomato paste, passata and ketchup. Stir 4 minutes — the sauce should turn deep orange-red and the tomato concentrate caramelise slightly at the edges.
- Pour in stock; bring to a simmer. Add sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Return the crab pieces and any juices. Cover and cook 6 minutes until the crab is just cooked through.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry; stream into the bubbling sauce while stirring. The sauce thickens dramatically into a glossy, coat-the-spoon gravy.
- With the sauce at a low bubble, drizzle in the beaten egg in a slow stream while stirring slowly. The egg will set into delicate yellow ribbons through the orange sauce. Off the heat, scatter spring onion and cilantro. Serve immediately with fried mantou buns at the table — diners tear and dip into the sauce.
Common questions
Can Chili Crab be made ahead?
Chili Crab is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 25 minutes.
Is Chili Crab spicy?
Chili Crab as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Chili Crab vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Chili Crab to make at home?
Chili Crab sits at intermediate difficulty — total time about 45 minutes. The ingredients are not unusual but the timing requires attention.
Can Chili Crab be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Chili crab was created in 1956 by Cher Yam Tian, a Singaporean cook who modified the Bombay-Goa-style crab she'd seen in Indian cooking with local sambal and tomato. Her stall on the East Coast became famous; the dish became a Singapore icon. The black-pepper-crab cousin is also Singaporean. Eating chili crab is hands-on; bibs are provided at chili-crab specialty restaurants like Long Beach Seafood and Jumbo. The mantou (Chinese steamed bread, fried) is non-negotiable; without it the diner has no way to harvest the spectacular sauce.
