Curry de Crab Sri Lankan

Plant-Based · Total: 75 min · Prep: 25 min · Cook: 50 min · 6 servings

By Chef Sri Lanka (@chef_sri_lanka)

Ingredients

1 tbsp raw long white rice (I use basmati rice)
4 tbsp desiccated coconut (unsweetened) OR freshly grated coconut (¼ cup )
1 inch ginger (minced)
6 garlic cloves (left whole)
½ yellow onion (finely chopped)
1 ½ tbsp of unroasted curry powder (recipe below (see notes for substitutes))
½ tsp cayenne pepper (I use 1 heaped tsp because we like it extra spicy)
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp tamarind paste
6 - 8 curry leaves
1 pandan leaf (fresh or dried, about 4 inches in length)
2 - 3 fresh red or green chili peppers (or 2 serrano peppers, sliced or slit in half)
1.5 cups coconut milk (good quality)
6 blue swimmer crabs (cleaned and cut in half (see video in post for cleaning instructions). )
Salt to taste
Drumstick leaves (traditional, but optional. you can use cilantro leaves if you like instead (not a flavor substitution))
Water (as needed)
4 tsp whole coriander seeds
3 tsp whole cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 ½ tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp fennel seeds

Directions

1Finely grind all the spices in a spice grinder. Set aside. If you're using roasted curry powder, add another 1 tsp of fennel seeds, ground to a powder (or ½ tsp ground fennel).
2Grind the raw rice and coconut until fine (or if using fresh coconut, grind until you have a fine paste). Set aside.
3Add about 2 tbsp of coconut oil (or vegetable oil) into a large saucepan (there should be enough space to gently stir the crabs) and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, and saute for a few minutes until the onions have softened.
4When onions are soft, add the 1 ½ tbsp of the curry powder, cayenne pepper and coconut/rice mix. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes until the spices become fragrant.
5Add the tamarind paste, sugar, chili peppers, curry leaves and pandan, and 1 cup of the coconut milk from the can. Add a generous ¼ tsp salt (more can be added after you taste it later). Bring it to a boil.
6Place the crabs in this gravy/sauce and gently mix to coat the crabs with the thickened gravy. 
7Bring it to a boil on medium high heat and then lower the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, until the crabs turn pink and are cooked through. Make sure to turn over/stir the crabs half way through cooking to make sure they are well coated with the gravy while being cooked.
8Add extra coconut milk if you prefer it more creamy, or up to ½ cup of water to dilute the gravy. Add salt to taste. Stir through and bring the curry to a simmer.
9Add the drumstick leaves or cilantro leaves and stir through while hot.
10Serve warm with steamed rice. Enjoy!