A black wok filled with cooked crab in a red chilli sauce

Singapore chilli crab

Name: Singapore chilli crab
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients: 150g dried chillies, soaked in warm water until soft; 3 candlenuts or macadamias; 2cm piece ginger, chopped; 6 cloves garlic, chopped; 2cm piece galangal, chopped; 2 stalks lemongrass, chopped; 200g long shallots, chopped; 1 tbsp belachan (shrimp paste); sugar, to taste; neutral oil, for frying; 6 tbsp rumpah, see above; 300ml tomato ketchup; 2 (about 1kg each) whole brown crabs, cooked and chopped into pieces; 2-3 tbsp sugar; 2 eggs, beaten; 1 tbsp cornflour

Preparation and cooking time
- Total time1 hr and 30 mins
Easy
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

RUMPAH (CHILLI PASTE)

150g dried chillies, soaked in warm water until soft
3 candlenuts or macadamias
2cm piece ginger, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2cm piece galangal, chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, chopped
200g long shallots, chopped
1 tbsp belachan (shrimp paste)
sugar, to taste

CHILLI CRAB

neutral oil, for frying
6 tbsp rumpah, see above
300ml tomato ketchup
2 (about 1kg each) whole brown crabs, cooked and chopped into pieces
2-3 tbsp sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp cornflour

Method

STEP 1
To make the rumpah, put all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz until completely smooth. Tip into a large non-stick frying pan and cook gently for 1 hour, stirring regularly, until darkened. Cool and chill until needed – this will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, or you can divide it into portions and freeze.
STEP 2
To make the chilli crab, heat a wok with a little oil, then fry the rumpah for 5 minutes. Add half the ketchup and fry for a few more minutes. Add the crab, along with a good splash of water, then fry for 2 minutes, turning to coat in the sauce. Put on a lid and simmer for 5 minutes until the crab has warmed through. Season to taste with the sugar and salt. Add the remaining ketchup and a splash of water to make it saucy.
STEP 3
Add the eggs and fry everything together. Mix the cornflour with a little water to make a thin paste. Add half of the cornflour paste and simmer until thickened, adding more of the cornflour and cooking it in the same way if needed. Season to taste before serving.