Kdam salk chien nung xieng .
(Soft shell crab with bean sauce. )

Khmer Krom loves soft-shell crab because it taste great and can eat whole. Golden crispy soft shell crab savor with gingery black bean sauce is absolute delicious.
Crab sheds many times during their whole life span; before crab shed out the hard-shell, it grows a new layer of soft-shell under the hard-shell. During this shedding or molting process crab would go hidden or buried under sands until crab’s soft-shell harden. At that same time the crabbers would be look out to catch the soft-shell crab. When you buy soft-shell crab, touch it body to check for firmness. Don’t buy if soft-shell crab has strong odor. Fresh soft-shell crab has very light odor.
• Ingredients :
  • 2 Large soft- shell crab
  • 1 Cup All purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 Cup ice cold water
  • 4 Cups vegetable oil for deep fry crab
  • 1 Cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons soy bean paste, rinsed soybean under cold water, drained
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 Cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon grated ginger root
  • 3 Chopped chili pepper or to your taste (option)
  • 3 Stalks green onion, cut ½ inch in length
  • ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
• Procedures :
  Removed apron (flap on the belly) of soft-shell crab, washed crab with cold water, drained, and set a side.
  In a large bowl, mix All purpose flour with cornstarch and cold water together, mix well.
  Heat up oil in a large skillet or wok with high temperature.
  When oil is bubbling hot, gently immersed crab in prepared flour and deep fry crab till crispy. Removed fried crab, put it in a plate covered with paper towel to drain excessive oil and set a side.
  In a small bowl, mix water with cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, soy bean paste, and sugar together , mix well.
  Pre-heat a small sauce-pan or skillet with high temperature.
  When sauce-pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons oil, saute' garlic, yellow onion, ginger, and chili pepper, stirs well.
  Pour prepared bean sauce over, stirs well till the sauce thicken.
  Add green onion and black pepper, stirs well.
  To serve:Put fried crab in a serving plate, pour hot soy bean sauce over. Serve hot as *mahope sar* appetizer or with rice.