Fiery hot and mouth-watering crab curry, that can be served with rice, chapati or Indian bread varieties like idli, dosa, appam etc…
After a long time, my brother and I are together for holidays at my mother’s house and we were enjoying all the home cooked foods prepared by my mother.
That day morning my mother bought some fresh crabs from her regular fish seller. Crab is one of our family’s favorite seafood. So I thought of making this deliciously spicy curry.
Chettinad cuisine is one of the popular cuisines in India and it is famous for its hot and spicy curries.
This crab curry is super spicy and full of flavor. In this recipe, I have added whole spices like cardamom, cloves, a cinnamon stick and garam masala powder. You can get garam masala powder in Indian grocery stores. This gives the curry its unique flavor.
I have fried the whole spices in the oil for a few seconds and then I have sauteed the onion until soft. Then I have added green chili and ginger garlic paste and sauteed. Into it I have added tomato, red chili, turmeric, and coriander powder. I have added the crab into this masala and then cooked it by adding water, pepper powder, garam masala powder, and salt.
I have added the crab as a whole because they are medium-sized, but if you are using big crabs you can cut them in half and add in the curry. I have used coconut oil to make the curry, you can use the vegetable oil of your choice.
The curry leaves and the coriander leaves make it more colorful and add flavor. The spices along with the curry leaves and coriander leaves give it a very nice aroma, when you open the curry it tempts you to eat it.
You can pair it up with cooked rice or chapati or Indian bread varieties like idli or dosa it tastes equally good.
CHETTINAD CRAB CURRY RECIPE
PREPARATION TIME: 25 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 50 MINUTES TO 1 HOUR
CAN BE SERVED: TO 3 TO 4 PEOPLE
INGREDIENTS
- 2 whole green cardamoms
- 2 cloves
- A small piece of cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
- 10 medium sized crabs, cleaned
- 2 medium and 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 4 medium green chilies, split
- 3 medium tomatoes, cut into medium slices
- 4 big cloves of garlic, coarsely ground
- 1/2 to 3/4 inch sized piece of ginger, coarsely ground
- 1&1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoon of coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon of red chili powder
- Few sprigs of curry leaves
- A handful of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons of coconut oil or any vegetable oils
- 3 cups of water measured in a 250 ml cup
METHOD
- In a wide, thick bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the cardamom, cloves and the cinnamon stick. Fry them for 30 or 40 seconds.
- Add a handful of curry leaves and fry for another 30 seconds.
- Add the onion slices and sauté until soft.
- Add the green chilies and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add the ground ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes or until the raw smell is completely gone.
- Add the tomato pieces and sauté for 2 minutes and then cover and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes or until the tomatoes become soft.
- Then, add the turmeric, red chili and coriander powder and sauté for a minute.
- Add the crab and gently stir so that the onion, tomato and the spices are coated well on the crab.
- Add the water.
- Add the black pepper powder, garam masala and the salt.
- Increase the temperature of the stove to high and bring it to boil. Let it boil in high flame for 5 minutes and then reduce the flame to low. Cook it for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the gravy reaches your desired thickness.
- Add a handful of curry leaves and cover it and cook for 1 minute.
- Switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
NOTE
You can reduce the amount of red chili and pepper powder if you do not want the curry to be very spicy.
I like using coconut oil in this curry, you can use the vegetable oil of your choice.
Curry leaves, along with coconut oil, give extra flavor and aroma to this curry.
I have added the crab as a whole, if you want you can cut them in half and add in the curry.
STEP BY STEP PICTURES
In a wide, thick bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the cardamom, cloves and the cinnamon stick. Fry them for 30 or 40 seconds.
Add a handful of curry leaves and fry for another 30 seconds.
Add the onion slices and sauté until soft.
Add the green chilies and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add the ground ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes or until the raw smell is completely gone.
Add the tomato pieces
and sauté for 2 minutes and then cover and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes or until the tomatoes become soft.
Add the turmeric powder
red chili powder
coriander powder
Sauté for a minute
Add the crab and gently stir so that the onion, tomato and the spices are coated well on the crab.
Add the water
coarsely ground black pepper powder
garam masala powder
required amount of salt
Increase the temperature of the stove to high and bring it to boil. Let it boil in high flame for 5 minutes and then reduce the flame to low. Cook it for another 15 minutes, or until the gravy reaches your desired thickness.
Add a handful of curry leaves and cover it and cook for 1 minute.
Switch off the stove, garnish the curry with coriander leaves and serve.
