Indian Crab Curry Recipe

Name: Indian Crab Curry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 whole crabs (cooked); 1 1/2-inch piece tamarind; 1/2 cup hot water; 2 large onions (sliced); 2 large tomatoes (sliced); 10 dried red chilies (or fewer to taste); 2 tablespoons garlic paste; 1 tablespoon ginger paste; 1 1/2 cups grated coconut; 2 tablespoons coriander powder; 2 tablespoons cumin powder; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder; 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder; 2 green chilies (slit); 2 tablespoons cooking oil (vegetable, canola, or sunflower); 3 cups hot water (more or less for desired gravy); Salt (to taste); Serving suggestion: cooked rice

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 50 mins

Servings: 4 servings

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This recipe for Indian crab curry minimizes the curry flavor so that the crab is the focus of the dish. Try serving this curry with plain boiled rice and plenty of gravy. Crab curry is best eaten with your fingers.

The curry can get quite hot; to reduce the spice don't add all of the red chile peppers. To lighten the dish, reduce the amount of water used for the gravy.

Serve this curry with plain rice.

8 whole crabs, cooked
1 (1/2-inch) piece tamarind
1/2 cup hot water
2 large onions, sliced
2 large tomatoes, sliced
10 dried red chiles, or fewer to taste
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 1/2 cups grated coconut
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
2 green chiles, slit open
2 tablespoons cooking oil, vegetable, canola, or sunflower
3 cups hot water, more or less for desired gravy
Salt, to taste

Gather the ingredients.

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Remove the crab legs and set them aside. Remove the claws from the legs so that each leg is divided into 2 parts.

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Using a cleaver, cut the crab bodies into halves or quarters. Set aside.

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In a small bowl, soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of hot water for 10 minutes.

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Mash the tamarind with your fingers to mix it well into the water.
Strain the tamarind through a sieve to extract all of the pulp. Set the puree aside.

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In a food processor, add the onion, tomato, dried red chiles, garlic and ginger pastes, coconut, all of the spices—coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, and red chili powder—and tamarind puree.

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Grind the mixture well to make a smooth paste (also called masala).
Set a deep, heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the cooking oil and heat the oil.

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Add the green chiles and the masala paste to the oil and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

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Add 3 cups of hot water—use more or less depending on how much gravy you'd like—and bring the gravy to a boil.

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Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Gently add the pieces of crab to the gravy and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat.

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Serve immediately with plain boiled rice or jeera rice. Enjoy.

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Curry Powder

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
612	Calories
24g	Fat
47g	Carbs
54g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	612
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g	31%
Saturated Fat 10g	51%
Cholesterol 258mg	86%
Sodium 1578mg	69%
Total Carbohydrate 47g	17%
Dietary Fiber 9g	31%
Total Sugars 20g
Protein 54g
Vitamin C 75mg	376%
Calcium 364mg	28%
Iron 6mg	35%
Potassium 1462mg	31%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.