Southern Indian crab curry

method

If you fancy a really different, quick and tasty treat, you must have a go at this curry. I’ve included a whole array of different spices, yet they’re so light and fragrant that you still get to appreciate the lovely sweet crab. And by using the brown meat in the base of the sauce and sprinkling the delicate white meat in at the end you’ll get a lovely depth of flavor and still be able to taste the crab because you won’t have cooked the life out of it. Best served with steamed rice.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and add the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cardamom pods, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, onion and chilli. Fry on a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly golden, then add the turmeric, butter and brown crabmeat. After a minute or so, pour in the coconut milk and a can of water. Let it simmer away for 5 minutes so all the flavors develop. Then add the lemon juice and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce resembles heavy cream in consistency.

Just before you stir in the white crabmeat, check that all the shell has been picked out, then add half the cilantro, simmer for 4 more minutes and taste. Season carefully with salt and pepper and a little more lemon juice if you think it needs it. Serve with some fluffy white rice, sprinkled with the rest of the cilantro leaves.

serves: 4–6

ingredients

• olive oil
• 3 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 heaped teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 5 green cardamom pods,
crushed and husks
removed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• a thumb-sized piece of
fresh ginger, peeled and
finely sliced
• 2 large cloves of garlic,
peeled and finely sliced
• 1 medium white onion,
peeled and finely sliced
• 2–3 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
• 2 heaped teaspoons
turmeric
• 11⁄2 tablespoons butter
• 9oz brown crabmeat
• 1 x 12oz can coconut milk juice of 2 lemons
• 1lb 2oz picked white
crabmeat
• a good bunch of fresh
cilantro, leaves picked
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper