Singaporean style chilli crab (Homemade Sauce, No Curry Paste)

I bet whenever someone mentions Singapore, this dish immediately pops into your mind—it’s that iconic. The fresh mud crab, coated in a slightly thick red sauce with bits of scrambled egg, is simply irresistible. But for me, the real star is the fried bun dipped in that flavorful sauce. I rarely eat crab, but the buns are a must for this dish.

Back in my university days in Singapore, chilli crab was a luxury meal. I remember paying $50 for one dish—a hefty price for a student. Now that I’m back in Vietnam, getting fresh mud crab isn’t difficult, but the authentic sauce isn’t sold everywhere. Imported chilli crab packs from Singapore cost around $20 on Shopee, which I don’t really want to splurge on.

So, I did my research—watched YouTube videos, read cooking blogs, and found that most ingredients are easy to source: shallots, bird’s eye chilies, red chilies, onion, ginger, garlic, and ketchup. The only tricky parts were curry paste or fermented bean paste, which I decided to skip. Instead, I made my own homemade sauce using whatever ingredients I had on hand—because as long as it tastes close to the real deal, that’s all that matters.

Ingredients

Mud Crab (I used 2 crabs)

• Handling live mud crabs isn’t easy. Be careful when removing the chains.

• To make it easier to eat and fit into my pan, I cut off the legs, but you can keep them attached if you prefer.

Homemade Sauce (Enough for 2 crabs and about 10 buns)

• 5 red chilies, chopped

• 6-7 bird’s eye chilies, chopped

• 50g ginger, peeled and sliced

• 10 garlic cloves (I love garlic)

• 2 whole shallots, diced (or eschalots)

Blend all ingredients with a little water until smooth.

Cooking Steps

Step 1: Prepare the Sauce

1. Heat up a pan with cooking oil.

2. Once hot, add the blended chili paste and stir until fragrant.

3. Add the yellow crab innards (optional but enhances flavor).

4. Stir in one big spoon of chili paste and ketchup. Adjust to taste—more spicy or more sweet, up to you.

Step 2: Cook the Crab

1. Place the crab directly into the sauce.

2. Cover with a lid and let it cook for five minutes on medium heat.

3. Occasionally check and flip the crab carefully.

Step 3: Fry the Buns

1. While the crab is cooking, fry the buns.

   • Deep-frying takes about two minutes.

   • I shallow-fried them instead, since I didn’t want to use too much oil. They burn quickly if left unattended, but they still tasted great.

Step 4: Thicken the Sauce and Serve

1. Once the crab turns red, add a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.

2. Slowly pour in one beaten egg while stirring.

3. Cook for another two minutes on low-medium heat.

4. Serve immediately with fried buns.

This homemade Singaporean-style chilli crab delivers the authentic taste without needing an imported sauce.