Crab curry...

This morning i decided to catch up with my backlog and took refuge in my room and was trying to make progress with my work. Just when i was settling i heard Prahlad my second twin run up the stairs screeching at his best all excited and calling out for me.... sounds familiar doesn't it..
I wanted to find out what it was all about. But before i could ask him he had me by my hands and walked me down the steps to the gate... Then i knew the reason for his excitement. I saw the 'meenkaran' the fish seller standing with his bounty of catch in a basket ......

There are no markets here where i can go to buy fishes . My supply is only from this weekly visitor. He is the most looked forward visitor especially for Nandan & Prahlad . He brings a good variety of fresh water fish as there is no coast nearby. Sometimes it is soles, catfish,trouts and sardines , mackerels and many more whose names, i am not familiar with.. Most often they are alive and jumping... But today it was special .. he brought fresh water crabs... they looked gorgeous with round black spots and they were just the right size to make a good spicy crab curry.

So off goes work and in comes the crab...

This is a typical chettinad red coloured crab gravy. It is very spicy and tastes terrific with hot rice. I generally dont like to serve anything else when i make crab. It is just rice with crab and some vegetables and buttermilk.. iam all set to devour it.

Ingredients :

Crab 1 kg
Onion 3 big
Tomatoes 3
Ginger & garlic paste 2 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tbsp
Chilli powder 2 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Cloves -2
Cinnamon - 3 sticks
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Aniseeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Grind to paste:

Coconut 3 tbsp
Aniseeds 1 tsp
Poppy seeds 1 tsp

Method:

1.Clean the crab and cut them into two halves...
2. Heat oil in a broad dish and add cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves , cumin and aniseeds and wait till it crackles.
3. Now add the onion and fry till it turns pink. Followed it up with tomatoes.. and fry for a while.
4. Now mix up all the powders with little bit of water and make a paste.
5. Add this to the onion and tomato and cook well till the oil begins to seperate from the gravy
6. Now add the crabs and mix it well...
7. It will generaly start oozing out water ..
8. Let it cook in its own water and season it with salt.
9. Remove it from fire when done and garnish with coriander.

Enjoy it with steaming hot rice....