Fatty Crab's Chili Crab Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best crab for chilli crab? ›

Live mud crab is the first and most traditional choice for the ultimate Singapore Chilli Crab eating experience. Known for their fearsomely large claws full of sweet, juicy meat, live mud crabs are sold in Australia and Asia at fish markets and large seafood shops.

Chilli crab is a popular seafood dish among locals and foreigners in Singapore, and consists of mud crabs deep-fried in a sweet, savoury and spicy gravy. It has been referred to in various food publications as Singapore's national seafood dish or even Singapore's national dish.

Every delicious dish has a story behind it, and chilli crab is no different. It all began in 1956, when a Singapore woman named Cher Yam Tian, along with her husband Lim Choo Ngee, developed a signature dish of stir-fried crabs, a step up from their previous offering of steamed crabs.

Aside from what the dish is enjoyed with, the experience can only be completed when you use your hands to crack open the crab legs, remove the meat, and dip it into the sauce before eating. It's important to remember that eating chilli crab can get messy, so it's advised to bring wet wipes or wear an apron.

Aligue, or the orange-colored fat, is usually found under the apron of female crabs. If buying from a wet market, ask the seller to gently check for aligue by peeking under the apron using a thin knife.

The blue crab is among the best types of crab due to its sweetness and quality flavor. Many describe the flavor as rich and buttery. The taste of the claw meat also has a nutty flavor. You can eat the softshells, and the cooked shells turn an orangish-red.

Serve with a good sprinkling of the drained coriander leaves, green spring onions and extra chilli, with roti canai for dipping into the sauce, if using.

The chilli crab dish made its appearance in Singapore in the mid-1950s, when Madam Cher Yam Tian added chilli sauce to stir-fried crabs, and then started selling it from a pushcart in Kallang alongside her husband Mr Lim Choon Ngee.

And you will go back for more, dipping fried or steamed buns, called mantou, to soak up the sauce—a delightful blend of tomatoes and chilli paste, thickened with ribbons of beaten eggs. Chilli crab is among Singapore's greatest culinary inventions, the king of all crab dishes.

JUMBO Seafood ( $83-$185)

Currently, they sell their Sri Lankan mud crabs according to weight. Each crab set consists of two crabs, and the lightest crabs available are in the 800g range. Two of these can be had for $83. The heaviest are 1.6kg and cost $185 for two.

What is a chilli crab bun called? ›

An easy dish to whip up, this Chilli Crab Dip is best mopped up with fried pillowy mantou buns.

The United States does not officially have a designated national dish, but hamburgers and Apple Pie are unofficial national dishes of USA due to their popularity and widespread consumption across the country. Hamburger is the most popular dish in America due to its popularity.

An 800g crab is filling meal for 1.

Chilli Crab is a beautiful Singapore dish - perhaps their most famous. It is not too spicy and the chilli is pretty mild in a rich and tasty tomato sauce - certainly worth trying. They use big Sri Lankan Mud Crabs that are just the best eating.

In most restaurants in Singapore, chili crab will be served with fried mantou — white steamed buns that have been fried until they turn golden brown — and they are not to be missed. The best way to enjoy the chili crab sauce is to sop them up with the buns and take a big hearty bite.

For the best texture, use lump crab meat, little filler, and bake the cakes in a very hot oven. Serve with lemon wedges, a garnish of chopped parsley, and/or co*cktail sauce or tartar sauce.

Try Jumbo Lump for Crab Cakes

Make the most of your favorite crab cake recipe by incorporating jumbo lump crab meat into your crab cakes. Using this type of crab meat will help to ensure that your crab cakes are made with a significant portion of meat versus filler ingredients such as mustard or breadcrumbs.

If you want live crab, you will have to use USA blue crab. Otherwise, you can use frozen Korean crab which is my preference. The reason I prefer using frozen Korean crab is because tastes different (it's sweeter, and has more of a pleasant ocean taste to it), and it's also WAY easier to eat.

It's very important to use fresh, good-quality lump crab meat. Look for fresh-off-the-boat crab meat, which is sold in a clear plastic container, usually resting on ice in the seafood department. It's expensive, but one pound is enough to make six generous crab cakes (or 12 mini ones).