How to Make Vietnamese Tamarind Crab (Ghẹ Rang Me)
Learn the recipe for tamarind crab that's flavorful and as good as what you'd find in a restaurant. This guide also shares the secret to making a tamarind sauce that perfectly balances sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors.
Ingredients
- 2 crabs (~600g)
- 1 bottle tamarind sauce (~280ml)
- 1 garlic bulb
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 1 ginger root
- 20g roasted peanuts
- 1 bunch Vietnamese coriander
- 1-2 hot chilies
- 30ml coconut milk
- 30g butter
- 20g cornstarch
- Spices: fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, ground pepper
Ingredient Notes
For tamarind crab, you can use large sea crabs or smaller soft-shell crabs based on preference and availability.
You can use bottled tamarind sauce or dried tamarind pulp to make the sauce.
Instructions
Prepare the Crab
Use a scrub brush or toothbrush to thoroughly clean the crab, focusing on the underbelly and legs. Rinse well. Submerge the crab in ice water to temporarily 'stun' it, then remove the binding strings.
Alternatively, you can use a knife to pierce the center of the crab's underbelly where its heart is located, killing it instantly. This method keeps the meat fresh and prevents the claws from falling off.
Next, hold the crab by the eyes and underbelly, and separate the shell from the body. Remove the soft gills, then cut the body into 2 or 4 pieces depending on the size. If the claws are large, you can cut them in half.
Keep the shell to rinse gently and drain. If the crab contains roe under the shell, you may want to keep it. The shell can also be used for decoration to make the dish more visually appealing.
After prepping the crab, season it with a little ground pepper to enhance its flavor.
Prepare the Tamarind Sauce
If you're using dried tamarind pulp instead of bottled sauce, here's how to make the tamarind extract:
Place 150g of dried tamarind in a bowl, pour 150ml of hot water over it, and use chopsticks to dissolve the tamarind pulp. Strain the mixture to collect the tamarind extract.
Prepare Other Ingredients
Peel and finely mince the garlic.
Remove the outer layers of the lemongrass, rinse well, and mince it finely.
Wash and mince the ginger. Mince the chili similarly to the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass.
Roast the peanuts until golden, let them cool, then remove the skins and roughly crush them.
Pick and clean the Vietnamese coriander, soak it in salted water, then roughly chop it.
Fry the Crab
Before cooking the crab in tamarind sauce, you should fry it to give the crab a crunchy texture. Heat enough oil in a pan to submerge the crab for deep frying, ensuring the crab stays crispy without absorbing too much oil.
Once the oil is hot, check by dipping a chopstick into the oil—if small bubbles form around it, the oil is ready. Fry the crab until it rises to the surface and turns golden. Once it's crispy and firm to the touch, turn off the heat and remove the crab to drain on paper towels.
Cook the Tamarind Crab
In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 4 tablespoons of margarine over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the minced garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and chili, and sauté until fragrant.
Next, add 150ml of tamarind sauce and stir. Season with 2 tablespoons of chili sauce, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of MSG, and 3.5 tablespoons of fish sauce. In a small bowl, mix 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water, and slowly pour it into the sauce to thicken it.
Add the fried crab to the pan and stir to coat it evenly in the sauce. Finally, add 50ml of coconut milk and the chopped Vietnamese coriander, stir well, then turn off the heat.
Transfer the tamarind crab to a serving dish, sprinkle with crushed peanuts, and serve hot. The tamarind crab has a delightful aroma with a mildly sour and nutty taste. You can also serve it with bread to soak up the delicious tamarind sauce.
