Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a large skillet or wok and place it over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat until it shimmers, which should take about 1-2 minutes.

Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic to the hot oil, stirring continuously for about 1 minute until it turns golden brown but not burnt.

Stir in 2 tablespoons of Thai chilli paste (Nam Prik Pao) into the pan and continue to stir-fry for another minute.

Gently fold in 500 grams of blue swimmer crab into the mixture, ensuring each piece is coated with the fragrant sauce. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes, until heated through.

Now, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the pan, tossing everything together for an additional minute.

Finally, stir in 2 chopped spring onions and turn off the heat immediately to preserve their crunchiness.

Transfer the stir-fried crab onto a serving plate, garnishing with fresh sliced chillies for an added pop of color and heat.