10 minutes is all you need to make this all time favourite! This kani salad is absolutely to die for! Throw in some sriracha and sweet mango slivers for a truly delicious Japanese crab salad.
Defrost the crab sticks and remove the wrappers. With your fingers, gently pry the strands of crab apart.
Peel the carrot and mango and julienne to the same length and thickness.
Julienne the cucumber with the skin on to the same length and thickness as the carrot and mango. Do not include the seeds, as the salad will get soggy.
Salad Dressing
In a small mixing bowl, add the Kewpie mayonnaise, sriracha sauce and the juice of ½ a lemon.
Mix until well combined.
Assembly
In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients together.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve.
Video
Notes
A popular addition to a kani salad recipe is to sprinkle panko breadcrumbs on top of the salad. Gives it that extra bit of crunch, and you don’t even need to toast it beforehand.
When mango is out of season, just leave it out. This spicy kani salad without the mango is just as delicious. The mango just gives it sweetness, but we have made it many times with and without it.
You can, of course, use regular mayonnaise if you prefer it, if you have some leftover you just want to finish off, or if you simply can’t get a hold of some Kewpie. Flavours will differ slightly, but not enough to dismiss the recipe.
Leave out the sriracha if you don’t like spicy food, and certainly add more if you’re on the other side of the spectrum!
You can sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top for flavour and garnish.
To make it a bigger meal or side dish, add half an avocado on top of the kani salad and serve.
If you really want to make your kani salad, a nice dollop of ikura on top of the salad would finish off nicely. You can also stir through some tobiko throughout the salad for tiny pops of joy!