Crab Masala Kerala

Ingredients

• - 400g crab
• - 1 fresh coconut (thick and thin milk extracted)
• - 2 tbsp coconut oil
• - 2 shallots
• - 2 green chillies
• - 1/2 inch ginger
• - 1 sprig curry leaves
• - 1/4 tsp turmeric
• - Salt to taste

Method

1. Clean crab: Scrub 2 large crabs. Break into pieces. Remove gills. Crack claws. Marinate with 1 tsp turmeric and salt.
2. Make coconut paste: Blend 1 cup fresh grated coconut, 5 dried red chillies, 1 tbsp coriander seeds and 1 tsp fennel seeds to a smooth paste.
3. Fry shallots: Heat 3 tbsp coconut oil. Add 1.5 cups sliced shallots and fry on medium heat 12 minutes until golden.
4. Add ginger-garlic and tomatoes: Add 1.5 tbsp ginger-garlic paste then 3 chopped tomatoes. Cook 8 minutes.
5. Add spice powders: Add 1.5 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and half tsp turmeric. Fry 2 minutes.
6. Add coconut paste: Add the ground coconut paste. Fry 5-6 minutes until oil separates.
7. Add marinated crab: Add crab pieces. Toss to coat. Cook on high heat 5 minutes.
8. Add water: Add 1 cup water and salt. Cover and cook on medium heat 15-18 minutes until crab is bright orange-red.
9. Thicken: Uncover and cook 5 minutes to reduce the sauce.
10. Serve: Adjust salt. Garnish with curry leaves. Kerala crab masala should be rich and coconut-forward. Serve with steamed rice.