Chilli crab

Chilli crab
A plate of chilli crab
TypeSeafood
Place of originMalaysia, Singapore
Associated cuisineMalaysia, Singapore
Created byCher Yam Tian (Singapore's version)
Serving temperatureHot, with a side of mantou
Main ingredientsCrab, chilli, egg
VariationsBlack pepper crab
  •  Wikimedia Commons logo Media: Chilli crab

Chilli crab (Chinese: 辣椒螃蟹; pinyin: làjiāo pángxiè; Malay: ketam cabai, ketam cili) is a Southeast Asian seafood dish popular in Malaysian and Singaporean cuisines. The modern version of the dish originated in the region in the 1950s. It is typically prepared by stir-frying mud crabs in sweet and savoury, semi-thick sauce made primarily from tomatoes and chilli peppers.

Origins

The Portuguese introduced chilli peppers to Malacca in the 16th century. Before their introduction, Malays used peppercorn was to add heat and spice to their food. A related dish, ketam balado, is a drier crab dish prepared with balado, a spicy mixture originating in the Minangkabau cuisine of West Sumatra, Indonesia.

20th century

In the 1950s, Cher Yam Tian experimented with stir-frying crabs caught by her husband, Lim Choon Ngee, and developed the dish by combining tomato sauce with chilli. In 1956, they started selling the dish from a pushcart along the Kallang River. Following the popularity of the dish, they opened Palm Beach Seafood along Upper East Coast Road in 1963.[citation needed]

The modern version of chilli crab is attibuted to Hooi Kok Wai, one of Singapore's four famous chefs, who developed his recipe in the 1960s. He created a more complex sauce incorporating lemon juice, vinegar, sambal, tomato paste, and egg whites to produce a thicker, tangier gravy.[citation needed]

Description

Chilli crab sauce is described as "sensuous" and "sweet, yet savoury", with a "fluffy texture". Mud crabs (Scylla serrata) are the most common type of crabs used for the dish, although other species of crab can also be used. It is usually served with a side of either fried or steamed mantou buns, which are used to scoop up the sauce.

Cultural impact

CNN Go listed chilli crab as one of the "world's 50 most delicious foods", at Number 35. The Michelin Guide dedicates a page to chilli crab on their website.

The Amazing Race 25, The Amazing Race Asia 4, and The Amazing Race China 4 featured a task that required contestants to crack a specified amount of chilli crabs. Chilli crab was also featured on the Netflix TV series Street Food in season 1.

Ketam berlada has been recognized as Malaysia's Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ As cited from the article, '“ketam balado”, cooked Minangkabau-style by MasterChef Malaysia contestant Rosemah Ibrahim. (Balado is a spice mixture in Minang cuisine from West Sumatra that is eaten with all kinds of protein.) Ketam balado has been around for generations'.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Neo, Chai Chin; Lee, June (2023). "Singapore and Malaysia have claimed these 4 dishes. We get to the bottom of the food fights". CNA. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Arokiasamy, Christina (2017). The Malaysian Kitchen. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780544810020.
  3. ↑ "Creator of Singapore's iconic chilli crab dish dies aged 90". CNA Lifestyle. CNA Lifestyle. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Where To Eat Chilli Crab In Singapore". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Chilli Crab". YourSingapore. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  6. ↑ "Chilli crab, mantou wow MasterChef Australia's George Calombaris in Singapore | Singapore Showbiz - Yahoo Entertainment Singapore". 29 October 2014. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  7. ↑ CNN Go World's 50 most delicious foods Archived 8 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine 21 July 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011
  8. ↑ Field, Sonya (29 November 2014). "'The Amazing Race' season 25, episode 9 recap: Committing race suicide". Hypable. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  9. ↑ Tan, John (25 April 2019). "Local putu piring stall featured in new Netflix show Street Food". SPH Digital News. The New Paper. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  10. ↑ Suwaytha Gopal. "The Spicy Delight of Malaysia: Chilli Crab". Munch Malaysia. Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.