Singapore Chilli Crab

Directions

Boil a large pot of water and drop in 4 green blue swimmers.

Boil them rapidly for 4 minutes then tip the contents of the pot into a colander to drain.

When cool enough to handle, chop crabs into quarters with a cleaver or large knife, leaving legs at- tached to body.

With a hammer. gently crack the claws and areas of harder shell.

Put 3 teaspoons tamarind pulp to soak in ¾ cup boiling water.

Finely chop 2 onions, grate 5 cm piece fresh ginger, finely slice 2 to 3 birdseye chillies (or to taste) and chop 3 green (spring) onions.

Mix 2 teaspoons cornflour with a little water.

In a large wok or pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil and stir- fry onion, ginger and ⅔ of the chopped chillies for a couple of minutes.

Add crab pieces and strained tamarind water, lower heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

Lift the crab out onto a serving dish and to the mixture in the wok add 3 teaspoons sugar and 2 of tomato paste.

Stir, add dissolved cornflour and stir again until the mixture thickens.

Pour over the crab, garnish with the rest of the chillies and the spring onions and serve.