Singapore Chilli Crab

Chilli Crab, Singapore’s unofficial “national dish” had beginnings as humble as the country itself. In the 1950s, Madam Cher Yam Tian had a hawker stall right on the seashore, and she spent her time everyday from dusk till the wee hours of the morning cooking by the light of a kerosene lamp. One of Madam Cher’s specialities? Live crabs in a zesty chilli-spiked gravy, the first version of the Singapore chilli crab.

Ingredients:
- 600g crab,
- 2 green peppers
- 2 red peppers,
- 3 chillies,
- 1 tbsp diced ginger,
- 1 tsp grated garlic,

Seasoning:
1 tsp light soy sauce,
1 tsp fish gravy,
1/2 tsp salt,
sesame oil,
pepper,
1/2 cup water

Sauce:
1/2 tsp caltrap starch
2 tbsps water

Method
1) Cut crab into 4 to  6 pieces. Leave shell as whole. Dice green pepper and red pepper.
2) Boil oil. Dust crab with a dash of caltrop starch and deep fry in warm oil. Remove and drain.
3) Stir fry green pepper, red pepper, chilli, ginger and garlic with 2 tbsps of oil until fragrant.Return crab. Ass seasoning and bring to the boil. Stir in sauce. Serve