Name: Crab curry
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 85ml oil; 1 tsp fenugreek seeds; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 2 garlic cloves chopped; 2-3 green chillies chopped; 1 thumb-sized piece ginger grated; 10 curry leaves; 2 onions sliced; 2 tsp chilli powder; 1 ½ tsp turmeric; 300ml fish stock; 1½ tbsp coconut milk powder; 2 tbsp tamarind pulp water; 2 tomatoes cut into chunks; 10g fresh drumstick leaves (optional); 500g white crabmeat (use ready prepped or pick your own); 20g brown crabmeat (use ready prepped or pick your own); cooked rice to serve; 115g frozen or fresh grated coconut; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 1 tbsp peppercorns

A serving board with crab curry, rice and crabs legs

85ml oil
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 garlic cloves
chopped
2-3 green chillies
chopped
1 thumb-sized piece ginger
grated
10 curry leaves
2 onions
sliced
2 tsp chilli powder
1 ½ tsp turmeric
300ml fish stock
1½ tbsp coconut milk powder
2 tbsp tamarind pulp water
2 tomatoes
cut into chunks
10g fresh drumstick leaves
(optional)
500g white crabmeat
(use ready prepped or pick your own)
20g brown crabmeat
(use ready prepped or pick your own)
cooked rice
to serve

For the paste

115g frozen or fresh grated coconut
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp peppercorns

Method

step 1
First, make the paste. Dry-roast the coconut, cumin seeds and peppercorns until golden, then pound using a pestle and mortar or blend to a smooth paste.
step 2
Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the fenugreek and mustard seeds and cook until they start to crackle. Add the garlic, green chilli, ginger, curry leaves and onion, sauté until golden, then add the chilli powder, turmeric and coconut paste. Cook for 10-15 mins, making sure the mixture doesn’t stick – add a splash of water if you need to. Add the fish stock and reduce until the mixture thickens a little.
step 3
Add the coconut milk powder, tamarind pulp and tomatoes and stir in the drumstick leaves, if using. Season with salt and cook for 10 mins. Check the seasoning, then add the mixed crabmeat and heat through, stirring gently. Serve with rice.