Crab Masala

Ingredients (Serves 5 - 6):

Crab                        --   1 kg
Onion                      --   1 large
Shallots                 --   6-8
Ginger                    --   a big piece / 2 inch piece
Garlic                     --   10 cloves    
Green chilly         --   3 - 4
Chilly powder     --   1 tsp +  ½ tsp
Chilly powder     --   1 tsp +  ½ tsp
Pepper powder  --   ½ tsp +  ½ tsp
Garam Masala   --   1 tsp
Turmeric powder --    ½ tsp
Curry leaves       --   a handful
Oil                            --   2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Salt                          --   to Taste
Mustard seeds    --   1 tsp
Red chillies           --   2

Preparation:

Clean and cut the crab.

Cook crab with turmeric powder, ½ tsp chilly powder,  ½ tsp coriander powder,  ½ tsp pepper powder and a little salt until done. As any shell fish, the water that comes out of crab will be salty, so take care while adding salt.

Chop the onions,shallots, ginger and garlic into small pieces. Alternately you can crush them in a chopper. Slit the green chillies.

   

Heat oil in a pan, I prefer coconut oil and add all the chopped ingredients into it. Add the curry leaves. Saute until the onions are light brown in colour. Add the remaining masalas and saute until the raw smell goes off.

Now add the crab along with the water if any is left. Mix well and simmer until the masala is well blend and the gravy is thick enough, if you had more water. If you don't have water left in the cooked crab, you can also add  half a cup of water so that the masala and the crab is well blend.

Heat oil in another pan. Splutter the mustard seeds and cut red chillies and more curry leaves if you like them. Pour it over the crab masala.

Serve hot with rice or any breads.

Recipe Courtesy: Amma 

Crab Curry

AJ loves crab like anything. He ll have the crab legs even with tea as a snack, however you prepare it. We got the cooked & frozen snow crabs from Walmart. Though they don’t give the taste of the live crab which we get back home, this was also delicious.

Ingredients:

Crab                                     --    1 kg

Onions                                  --    2 big onions

Ginger garlic paste                 --    2 tsp

Green chillies                         --    3 -4

Tomato                                 --    1 medium size

Turmeric powder                   --    ½ tsp

Coriander – Chilly powder mix  --    5 -6 tbsp

Coconut                                 --   ½ of a medium size coconut

Mustard seeds                        --   ½ tsp

Curry leaves                           --   1 stem

Coriander leaves                     --   2 -3 stem

Oil                                         --    2 tbsp

Salt                                        --    to taste

Preparation of Crab Curry:

Cut and clean the crab into small pieces and keep them aside.

Fry the shredded coconut and grind it to a fine paste/liquid form. Keep it aside. (See here)

Fry the mustard seeds in oil. Once it pops out, add the chopped onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Once the onions are translucent add the chopped tomatoes.

 

When they turn squishy, add the turmeric powder and masala powder. Fry for a minute and then add the ground coconut. Add water as per the gravy required. Once it starts boiling, add the crab and let it cook on a low flame.

 

 

Garnish with chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves before turning off the flame.