Crab in Padang sauce

Crab in Padang sauce, also known as Padang crab, is a beloved Indonesian seafood dish in which crab is smothered in a hot and spicy Padang sauce. This dish is a staple in many coastal cities across Indonesia, including Padang, Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya, Makassar, and Cirebon. Originating from West Sumatra, Padang crab features a robust spice mix known as "bumbu."

The bumbu blend is a delightful combination of shallots, garlic, red chili pepper, bird's eye chili, ginger, turmeric, and candlenut. While mud crab is the preferred choice for this dish, blue crab can be used as a suitable alternative.

Here’s how to prepare it: First, crabs are boiled until they are partially cooked and then cut into smaller pieces. Save the boiling water; it becomes a flavorful crab broth. Next, the bumbu spice mixture is made by grinding together garlic, shallot, bird’s eye chili, ginger, turmeric, candlenut, and red chili pepper into a paste. This paste is quickly stir-fried in palm oil along with chopped onions, Indonesian bay leaf (salam leaf), and lemon leaf to release its aromatic flavors.

The partially cooked crab pieces are then tossed into this fragrant spice paste, along with the crab broth, scallions, tomato ketchup, chili sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and pepper. To give the sauce a rich and creamy texture, beaten eggs are added, yielding a savory, hot, and spicy masterpiece.

But the magic of Padang sauce doesn’t stop at crabs. It is also a popular choice for other seafood like clams. While it shares some similarities with chili crab, the Padang version boasts a more complex and richer spice blend.