Qttie x SG50: Chilli Crab

Chilli crab hits all the right spots with tangy gravy that seeps into the succulent flesh of the stir-fried crab.

Chilli crab (Chinese: 辣椒螃蟹; pinyin: là jiāo páng xiè) is a Singaporean seafood dish popular in Singapore and Malaysia. Chilli crab is among Singapore’s greatest culinary inventions, the king of all crab dishes. It is easily available in most seafood restaurants, which typically serve it with mud crabs that have deliciously sweet and juicy flesh.

Mud crabs are commonly used and are stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet and savoury tomato and chilli based sauce. Despite its name, chilli crab is not a very spicy dish.

Chilli crab has been promoted by The Singapore Tourism Board as one of Singapore's National Dishes, and can be found in seafood restaurants all over the island. It is listed at number 35 on World's 50 most delicious foods compiled by CNN Go in 2011.

THE ORIGIN

The world famous dish started from a pushcart in 1956. Run by a couple, the husband asked his wife to experiment with other methods of cooking crabs other than just steaming the seafood.

Madam Cher Yam Tian’s first attempt was stir-fried crabs with tomato sauce, but decided the dish will have more kick by adding chilli sauce. They sold their chilli crabs along Kallang River and it became so popular that they opened a restaurant, called Palm Beach.

A famous chef, who opened Dragon Phoenix restaurant later, added a slight twist to the dish – using sambal, tomato paste and eggs to cook the gravy instead of bottled chilli and tomato sauces. This has since become the version most commonly served in Singapore.

HOW IS IT EATEN?

The Chilli Crab is traditionally eaten with bare hands as a means to savour the juicy crab meat with its sweet and spicy chilli sauce. Restaurants often provide wet towels or a washing bowls with lime in order to cleanse your hands after the meal. Chilli crab sauce is described as "sensuous" and "sweet, yet savoury", with a "fluffy texture".

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.