Chunky Chilli Crab Dip

I love chilli crab, especially the part where I get to mop up the delicious spicy and tangy sauce with some hot toast. Really yummy. I have never cooked a whole crab before. Live and uncooked crabs intimidate me a little, especially the big black ones with their little beady eyes and big fat pincers. A bit like a giant tarantula masquerading as Darth Vader. The tiny little crabs can be cute though. So anyway, to get around this "problem", I resorted to using canned crab meat, which I think is a fine substitute. I'm not really that fussy, and it's especially time-saving if you're not a champion crab-meat-picker.

This sauce or dip goes well with plain toast, fried mantou/bun, a crusty baguette, nachos, potato wedges, fries or chunky potato chips.

Ingredients:

2 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp grated ginger

5-6 bird's eye chilli

1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste)

1/3 cup chopped coriander leaves

1/2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

1 can of crab meat (approx 170g per can)

1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water

1 egg, beaten

Salt to taste

Lemon juice (optional)

Sauce:

1/2 tbsp soy bean paste

5 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp black vinegar

1/4 tsp black pepper

200ml water

200ml chicken stock

Method: 

1. Mix sauce ingredients together. Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a wok and fry garlic, ginger and chilli for 1-2 minutes, and then add belacan.
2. Add sauce ingredients and palm sugar, and bring to a boil.
3. Add chopped coriander and crab meat and simmer for a 1-2 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Add a splash of lemon juice if used.
4. Add cornstarch mixture, stir and bring to a boil. Then add egg and stir gently until it is mixed into the sauce.
5. Dish up, garnish with some fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately with toast, crusty bread, potato chips/wedges or nachos. 

Note: If a more runny consistency is desired, omit the cornstarch.