Crab with Tamarind and Curry Leaves

This was a nifty little recipe. I chose not to include a photo because it simply looks like a another lightly colored curry over rice, of which there are many photos of already, and they are virtually indistinguishable from one another.

That said, the flavor was FANTASTIC. I will definitely make this again, though I'll probably not go through the bother of breaking the crabs down myself, which was EASILY the most time-consuming step. Next, time I'll go with prepped crab from the fishmonger... pretty sure I would not use canned. The coconut paste was a new ingredient for me and it brought so much more flavor than regular coconut milk. Feel free to use tamarind syrup rather than the pulp if you have to.

By the way, all of these Asian ingredients can be found at any reputable Asian grocer or food shop. Lots of rich flavors here....yum!

Crab with Tamarind and Curry Leaves
2x500 g medium crabs (preferably raw)
50 g tamarind pulp
60 milliliters vegetable oil
2 dried red chillies
8-10 curry leaves
300 g onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
100 g coconut paste or creamed coconut
2 teaspoons ground coriander
¾ teaspoons ground turmeric
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Cut each crab into 4 or 5 pieces (unless your fishmonger has done so for you) and crack the claws; set aside. Soak the tamarind pulp in 150ml warm water for 20 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve.

Heat the oil in a saute pan, add the dried chillies and saute for a minute or two, then remove. Add the curry leaves to the pan and saute until they crackle. Add the onions and fry until softened and light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for 3--4 minutes until it turns golden brown and the raw taste disappears. Add the coconut paste and fry for a few minutes until the oil leaves the masala. Add the ground coriander and turmeric, and saute over a low heat for 1 minute.

Add the crabs, salt and tamarind liquid. Simmer gently for 5-8 minutes until the crab pieces are cooked, then take them out. Boil the sauce to reduce slightly. Return the crab and scatter with coriander to serve.