Here’s a classic Crab in Padang Sauce recipe — a spicy, savory Indonesian dish from Padang, West Sumatra, known for its rich coconut and chili flavors. 🦀🌶️
Ingredients
- 2–3 live crabs (or 1–2 lbs cleaned crab)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 shallots, minced
- 3 red chilies, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
- 2 bird’s eye chilies (optional, for extra heat)
- 2 cm ginger, minced
- 2 cm turmeric, minced (or 1 tsp turmeric powder)
- 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste (or 1 tsp lime juice)
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
- 2–3 green onions, chopped for garnish
- Steamed rice to serve
Instructions
1. Prepare the crab
- Clean the crab and cut into pieces (crack claws slightly for easier cooking).
- Blanch in boiling water for 2–3 minutes, then drain.
2. Make the Padang spice paste
- In a food processor or mortar, combine garlic, shallots, red chilies, bird’s eye chilies, ginger, and turmeric.
- Grind into a smooth paste.
3. Cook the sauce
- Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium heat.
- Sauté the spice paste until fragrant (~3–5 minutes).
- Add lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, stir for 1–2 minutes.
- Pour in coconut milk, tamarind, sugar, and salt. Simmer for 3–5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
4. Cook the crab
- Add crab pieces into the sauce, stirring to coat.
- Cover and simmer for 8–10 minutes until crab is fully cooked and absorbs the flavors.
5. Garnish and serve
- Sprinkle chopped green onions over the crab.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
💡 Tips
- Adjust chili level depending on your spice tolerance — Padang sauce is traditionally very spicy. 🌶️
- You can substitute crab with shrimp or lobster for a different version.
- The sauce can be thickened slightly by simmering longer or adding a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with water.
If you want, I can also give a restaurant-style Padang crab recipe that uses extra fragrant spices and caramelized coconut milk, which is very close to what you’d get in West Sumatra. Do you want me to do that?
