Veggies in Coconut Cream with Crabs

Last Monday was my husband's birthday. He loves gata dishes or dishes cooked in coconut milk so I decided to cook this vegetable-seafood dish. 

I will not lie. This took a lot of time to prepare but was definitely worth it. It was for birthday boy, after all. 

Veggies in Coconut Cream with Crabs

garlic

onions

ginger

crabs, cleaned and cut with legs and claws removed (alimasag)

1 small carton coconut milk

1 small carton coconut cream

squash, cut into pieces

sitaw (long beans/snake beans) cut into 1-inch length

oil

pepper 

2 tablespoons fish sauce

Let's do this!

Wash the crabs, cut them and clean out all the "yucky" parts. I removed the legs and claws and boiled them until they turned orange. I didn't boil the body. 

For the legs and claws, I removed the meat, painstakingly, one by one. Set the meat aside. I have a 4-year old and it's important that he enjoy the food as well, thus the hard work. 

I used a thin stick to pull out the meat from the legs. I was really happy that I did this step because I was able to enjoy the crabs when we finally ate. I did not keep cracking claws and legs like I did before. No mess! Back to cooking.

In a wok, add some oil. I always use coconut oil. Add the onions and cook until transparent. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the squash and cook for 3 minutes. Add the long beans and cook for another minute. 

Add the crab body and stir fry for a minute. Season with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce. Season with pepper. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Let it boil for a minute then lower heat to simmer. Let the vegetables cook. Add the cream. I again let it boil then let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and add more fish sauce if needed. Serve with lots of steamed rice!