If you’re in Manila, there’s these rows of restaurants called Dampa. Dampa is actually “hut” in English, and these Dampa are small stalls usually near a Seafood Market that cooks live and fresh seafood that you bought yourselves. They only charge you for cooking your goodies from the market.
Anyway, one of my family’s favorite is the Sweet Chili Crab. I already wrote one here: Chilli Crab Recipe Filipino Style, lol. We really love crabs and seafood! This is another crab recipe that you can try.
I just happened to pass by a street vendor selling freshwater crabs and shrimps and instantly I thought of cooking this sweet chili crab. These are the small freshwater crabs, not the big ones. I think in the island we called it “kalapay”. Its been a year or so since we last had some.
I got into chit chat with the “Manong” Vendor and I asked him about the girl, boy, bakla tomboy issue. I usually here this when I go to the market, O, buy this one, mas maganda, bading kase. It was a bit funny and weird to be asking about it. Here’s his little advice. Study the underside, in particular the light-coloured triangular flap. Males have narrow bellies while the females’ are wide and rounded. In comparison, the “Bakla” or gay crab is not as narrow but not as wide as the females. If you prefer to have it with “itlog” or eggs, get the female ones. If you want it fleshy, get the “gay” ones. :P
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cooking oil + 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 head garlic, minced
- 5 pieces sliced red chili or 1 tbsp dried chili (those Yellow Cab Chili packs are AAA+ awesome!)
- 3 thumbs ginger, smashed and minced
- 1 kl crabs, cut in half if big
- ½ cup tomato catsup
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce (UFC)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tbsp green onions (dahon ng sibuyas)
Instructions
- Add butter and oil in the pan and bring to heat.
- Saute the garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper.
- Add the crab and cook for 3 minutes.
- Put-in the ketchup, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil then mix with the other ingredients.
- Pour-in the water and bring to a boil then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce gets thick.
- Add green onions on top.
- Serve hot.
