Creamy Butter Crab Recipe

(Click the image above to view the complete food porn of 5 pictures)The holiday season is just around the corner and I wanted to share a special recipe with you: creamy butter crab. Last Christmas, I served creamy butter crab to my friends and family and they couldn't get enough of it. Everyone was asking for the secret recipe.

Creamy butter crab is a fairly new Malaysian creation and has gotten popular these past few years. Made popular by King Crab restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, the basic ingredients consist of butter, evaporated milk, bird's eye chilies, and curry leaves. The curry leaves lend a distinct and exotic flavor and complement the richness of butter and evaporated milk. The bird's eye chilies add an extra kick to the dish...(get the secret recipe of creamy butter crab after the jump)

I used mud crab for my recipe as they are widely available in Asia and Australia. However, dungeness crab or stone crab would work very well, too.

This holiday season, do try preparing something foreign, exotic and new. Creamy butter crab is served with fried Chinese buns or mantou, so everyone will have a great time sopping up the creamy butter sauce with the fried buns while devouring the crab. I am sure your family, friends and guests will be in for a delicious treat!

Recipe: Creamy Butter Crab

Ingredients:

2 lbs. mud crab (dungeness crab or stone crab is a great substitute)
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon corn starch
2 stalks curry leaves (you can get the curry leaves at Indian grocery stores)
5 bird's eye chilies (lightly pounded)
10 Chinese buns (mantou/馒头)

Method:

Clean the crab and cut into pieces. Use paper towels to pat dry the crab. Deep-frying the Chinese buns or mantou to golden brown and set aside. Lay them over paper towels to soak up excess oil. Mix the corn starch with water and set aside.

Heat up a wok to medium heat. Melt the butter in the wok before adding the curry leaves and bird's eyes chilies. As soon as you smell the aroma from the curry leaves and bird's eye chilies, add in the crab and stir continuously until the crab starts to turn color. Add the evaporated milk and cover the wok and turn the heat to low. Simmer for about 5 minutes, and then add in corn starch to thicken the creamy butter sauce.

Dish out and serve hot and the fried mantou.

Cook's Note:

This recipe is an adaptation of Amy Beh's recipe, courtesy of by my flogger friend