Crab Curry Recipe
The Crab Curry Recipe features succulent Dungeness crabs simmered in a spiced sauce. The sauce made with tamarind pulp, fragrant spices, and aromatic herbs accentuates the natural sweetness of the crabs. Cracking into the shells releases a burst of flavor from the onions, tomatoes, spices, fresh fenugreek leaves, ginger, and garlic, making this messy experience a comforting feast for the senses!
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large cast-iron wok
- Small saucepot for tempering
Ingredients
For the Crab Curry:
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 onion
- 3 tomato pureed
- 3 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
- ¼ cup tamarind (for the pulp)
- 3 drumsticks chopped
- 3 Dungeness crab quartered
- 1½ tbsp curry powder fish
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp coriander powder
- ⅕ tsp turmeric powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 cup fenugreek leaf (optional) for garnish
For the tempering:
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp fenugreek seed
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- ½ tsp cumin seed
- 2 sticks whole cinnamon
- 5 clove
- 2 star anise
- 4 cardamom
- 2 sprig curry leaf
Instructions
How to make the Crab Curry:
- Prepare the ingredients. Clean and drain the crab quarters. To make the tamarind pulp, soak ¼ cup of tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for 10 minutes and strain it.
- Heat the sesame oil in a Dutch oven, and sauté the onion over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until lightly caramelized.
- Add the puréed tomatoes and sauté over high heat for 3 minutes or until thickened. Add the ground spices, ginger and garlic paste and salt and mix well.
- Add the crab quarters and drumsticks to the pot, and 4-5 cups of water. Cook over high heat until the sauce reaches a rolling boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes covered with the lid. Remove the lid, flip the crab quarters over, and stir the pot. Cook for 15-18 minutes or until the curry reaches the desired consistency.
How to make the tempering:
- In the meantime, prepare the ingredients.
- Heat the small saucepot with sesame oil, add the mustard seeds and cover it with a lid while the seeds splutter. Open the lid, add the remaining ingredients and stir them. Turn off the heat.
- Add the tempering mixture to the Crab Curry and turn off the heat. Serve hot garnished with fenugreek leaves with steamed rice.
Notes
- Crack the shells of the crab so that the spices will seep in to yield a more flavorful crab meat.
- Chop the onions finely to achieve a smooth curry with minimal chunks.
- Fresh live crabs taste better than frozen ones for this Crab Curry recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 25gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 879mgPotassium: 771mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 682IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 4mg
