green chili crab

go green!

Chili Crab is so famous in Singapore that i thought why not make it green for a change. and hey, it turned out tasty! though cooking this dish for the first time, i know i can still perk it up even more!!! gotta find the best green chili variety and will make the sauce wet next round. wooohhh hot hot!

ingredients:

1 big Sri Lankan Crab

half cup curry leaves

1 sprig of spring onion

1 tablespoon of sugar

2 tablespoons of tamarind juice

pinch of salt and pepper

drizzle of canola oil

1/4 cup of water

5 fresh Korean or Indian green chillies (long green chili)

1 fresh Jalapeno chili

2 stalks lemongrass

5 shallots

3 cloves garlic

1 thumb-size ginger

3 medium green tomatoes (raw tomatoes)

clean the crab and chop 'em into pieces. steam for 15 minutes.

set aside.

remove the seeds and membranes of the long green chillies

except for the Jalapeno chili.

using a mortar and pestle, pound all the chillies together with

the ginger, lemongrass, shallots and garlic.

and using a blender, puree the green tomatoes. set aside.

drizzle the wok with oil. saute the paste and curry leaves until fragrant.

add in the steamed crabs.

pour in 1/4 cup of water and green tomato puree.

simmer for 3 minutes.

add the tamarind juice and sugar.

season with salt and pepper.

garnish with spring onion.

NOTE: i substituted the red tomato sauce with green tomato puree to maintain its green sauce color.

food and photo by: helenegarcia.december 2010.