Chilli crab with coconut rice and sambal (Mark LaBrooy)
Chilli crab with coconut rice and sambal is a vibrant Asian seafood main course by Mark LaBrooy. Sweet crab meat meets fiery long chillies and fragrant lemongrass, served over creamy coconut rice. The Thermomix TM7 weighs, chops and cooks everything with precision, making this impressive restaurant-style dinner surprisingly achievable at home.
About this recipe
Chilli crab with coconut rice and sambal Thermomix TM7 brings Mark LaBrooy's celebrated Asian seafood recipe straight into your all-in-one kitchen machine. This recipe is a fantastic choice when you crave a quick weeknight dinner with real impact, or when you want to impress guests with an aromatic main course that tastes like it came from a Singaporean hawker stall. The dish works brilliantly in the TM7 because every component plays to its strengths: the blades chop lemongrass and fresh long chillies into a fragrant sambal base in seconds, the controlled heating cooks long grain rice in coconut milk to a creamy, tender consistency without sticking, and the integrated scale measures the desiccated coconut and olive oil to the gram. Sweet crab meat soaks up the spicy sambal while the coconut rice cools the palate. Whether you are searching for chilli crab recipes, coconut rice Thermomix ideas or an Asian seafood dinner, this recipe delivers restaurant-quality results with home-kitchen ease.
Preparation tips
- Use the freshest crab you can find: live cooked crab picked the same day gives the sweetest meat, and leftover shells can be simmered into a quick stock for extra depth in the sambal.
- Toast the desiccated coconut in a dry pan until golden before adding it to the rice; this deepens the nutty flavour and prevents the coconut from tasting raw alongside the sweet crab.
- For a milder family version, deseed the fresh long chillies and reduce the chilli powder; serve the extra sambal on the side so heat-lovers can spice up their own plate.
Recipe variations
- Make it vegetarian by replacing the crab with hearty chunks of pan-fried king oyster mushrooms or hearts of palm; the sambal and coconut rice stay exactly the same, keeping all the aromatic character of the original.
- For a festive summer variation, swap the rice for coconut-infused noodles and serve the chilli crab in the shell with lime wedges and extra sambal — a striking centrepiece for an outdoor gathering with friends.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- The Thermomix weighs the long grain rice and coconut milk directly in the mixing bowl for consistently creamy rice every time. [Time Savings]
- Chopping the lemongrass and fresh long chillies, the Thermomix produces an even sambal base in seconds without tough fibres remaining. [Multi-Function]
- The Thermomix grinds the desiccated coconut and aromatics into a smooth, fragrant sambal paste without a mortar and pestle. [Multi-Function]
- Precise heating cooks the coconut rice gently while stirring automatically, preventing the coconut milk from catching or splitting. [Precision Control]
- The Thermomix mixes the olive oil through the sambal gradually, coating the crab evenly for a glossy, restaurant-style finish. [Multi-Function]
Ingredients
- olive oil
- lemongrass
- fresh long red chillies
- fresh ginger
- garlic cloves
- eschalots
- fresh coriander
- palm sugar
- fish sauce
- cherry tomatoes