Ingredients
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2 tbsp Oil
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1/4 tspn Mustard seeds
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1/4 tspn Cumin seeds
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1/2 tspn Fennel seeds
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2 cups Shallots
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Few Curry leaves
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As required Green chilli
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1 large Tomato
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2 tbsp Grated fresh coconut
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1/2 tspn Turmeric powder
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1 1/2 tspn Kashmiri red chilli powder
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1 1/2 tspn Coriander powder
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1/2 tspn Cumin powder
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1/4 tspn Asofetida powder
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1/4 tspn Pepper powder
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Few Coriander leaves fresh
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As per taste Salt
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4 medium or 2 large Fresh crab cleaned
Directions
Native Americans, Asians, and Romans began to explore crab as a delicacy as early as the 17th century. At that time, people started incorporating crab into their diets to promote a healthy lifestyle. There are numerous incredible and essential nutritional benefits associated with including crab in our dietary intake. While there are many varieties of crab available today, those of us who may not be well-informed about crab, like myself, can certainly depend on local market vendors or knowledgeable relatives to guide us on which crabs are safe and healthy to eat.
Let’s have a quick look at nutritional benefits offered in crab meat:
- High in Protein: Crab is an excellent source of protein, important for building and repairing tissues.
- Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These healthy fats can improve heart health, brain function, and reduce.
- Good Source of Selenium: Selenium is an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage.
- Contains Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is the most essential vitamin group for our body and essential for nerve function and red blood cell formation.
- Provides Phosphorus: Phosphorus is important for strong bones and teeth.
Let me tell you something very important: I had tasted crab once or twice in my lifetime until I realized that I am carrying a shellfish allergy in my blood system. Meanwhile, my husband adores shellfish and has fond memories of growing up eating seafood. To this day, I still can’t eat any shellfish, including prawns, lobster, crab, and certain fish like river cobbler, and I hope to overcome this issue so I can enjoy a crab feast as well. However, I still love cooking this seafood for my husband, even though I can’t partake in it myself.
This recipe i’ve shared is most commonly observed in Nellai, tamilnadu and if i can learn to cook it so deliciously (as told by my husband) then anyone can cook it.
Step 1:
- Prepare the ingredients and keep them ready, which only takes 10 minutes and makes the cooking process more organized and interesting.
- Take around 2 cups of shallots, skin removed; chopped green chili that has less spice; curry leaves; country tomatoes; and garlic and ginger, skin removed, all set on a plate.
Step 2:
- Take a pan of your choice. I preferably take a kalchatti, a stoneware cooking pot, which brings a magical taste to the gravy.
- Since cooking in kalchatti, we cannot start with the tempering process first; rather, I would pour oil and add shallots along with it and start cooking with gradual heat.
- The fire has to be slow while using a stoneware pot and a clayware pot. Once the onion starts cooking add cumin seeds and fennel seeds, and add curry leaves and green chili to the oil.
Step 3:
- Add big-cut tomatoes.
- In a small pan, dry roast the cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and asafetida powder for a few seconds and add it to the blender.
- Add freshly grated coconut and blend it fine with water. The paste shouldn’t be too runny. Transfer the paste to the pan and let it cook in the oil for a minute.
- Another alternative is to add the dry roast powder as it is to the shallot mixture, followed by freshly extracted coconut milk.
Step 4:
- Adjust salt and water according to how you need.
- Add the cleaned crabs to the gravy and let it boil for around 10 minutes.
- In a pan add some oil and mustard seeds and temper the gravy.
- Add a bit of coriander leaves with tender stems.
- Serve hot with plain steamed rice and relish.
