Spicy Crab Roast

Live Blue crabs freaked me out but I turned them into a delicious dinner and I ate them in a messy style…

Yesterday, I met with a few live blue crabs in a fish market. I am a die hard crab fan and while eating them, I never seem to get tired of cracking the crabs and will never let go even the tiniest hidden meat from it. But, I wouldn’t dare to catch a live crab from the box and carry it in a bag with me to my kitchen. Thanks to my hubby who fulfilled my crab craving by getting fresh live crabs for me. For the first time three live blue crabs visited my kitchen. Honestly, I didn’t touch the crab until I made sure it was no longer alive. I made my hubby carry the bag and he kept it on the kitchen counter top. I could even hear the crabs crawling inside the paper bag, this really freaked me out. Seeing this, my hubby got excited and had some fun scaring me off. He came behind me carrying the bag of live crabs, I screamed and literally ran all over my house, this was more like an episode of “Tom and Jerry” 😛

Before the crabs attacked me, I wanted to turn them into my sumptuous dinner. I made my hubby throw them into the boiling water and only after I made sure it was completely dead I even went near to it. I cleaned them thoroughly and transformed them into a spicy crab roast.

I loved crab ever since I was a kid and whenever crab was in season my mom used to make this spicy crab roast for me. I ate and ate, cracking the crabs making all the weird noise and making a huge mess. Even now this crab eating style of mine hasn’t changed, I still make a huge mess while eating crab. I think while eating crab you really have to eat it in a messy style, that’s when you’ve enjoyed it completely.

How to deal with live crabs:

• When you buy live crabs, put them in a paper bag and tie the bag properly.
• After coming home, throw them into a huge pot of boiling water and close it with its lid.
• The crabs will die after few minutes.
• After making sure the crabs are dead, drain the water and clean the crab under running water.

How to clean the crab:

• First, clean the outside of the crab under running water, using a brush or paper towel wipe off any dirt from the shell.

• Remove the legs from the crab by just breaking it off and rinse under running water.
• Hold the crab and run the sharp edge of a knife between the two eyes of the crab and pull the shell in the upward direction.

• The shell will open up into halves. Clean and save the outer shell for decoration.

• Remove the gills and other mucous stuffs inside the shell and rinse under running water.
• keep aside.

Making Spicy Crab Roast

Ingredients:

• Crabs, cleaned, legs separated- 3
• Cardamom, whole-2
• Cloves, whole- 2
• Cinnamon- 2 inch stick
• Star anise- 1
• Bay leaf, dry- 1
• Ginger, chopped- 2 tsp
• Garlic, chopped- 1 tsp
• Green chilies, cut half- 2
• Curry leaves- 1 sprig
• Onion, cut lengthwise- 2
• Tomatoes, chopped- 2
• Chili powder- 1 tsp
• Fennel powder- 2 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 tsp
• Ground pepper- 1/4 tsp
• Cilantro, chopped- 1 handful
• Water- 1/4 cup
• Salt- to taste
• Oil- 2 tbsp

For seasoning:

• Coconut oil- 3tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1tsp
• Red pearl onions, cut lengthwise- 4
• Dry whole red chilies- 3
• Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Instruction:

• Heat a wide non-stick pan over medium heat, add oil, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise and saute.

• When the spices turn aromatic, add ginger and saute for a minute.
• Add garlic and green chilies and saute till the raw smell fades away.

• Add the onions, curry leaves, salt and saute until it turns golden brown.

• Add tomatoes to the browned onions and cook till tomatoes get mashed.

• Add chili powder, fennel powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and saute well.
• Add the crab and combine everything well.

• Season the crab with salt, add water and cover the pan with its lid
• When the crab has cooked well, open the lid and saute till all the water in it has evaporated.
• Saute the crab until the onion starts to caramelize.
• Garnish with cilantro and remove from the flame and keep covered.

Making the seasoning:

• Heat coconut oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, let it splutter.
• Add small onions, curry leaves and dry red chili , saute till the onions turn golden brown.

• Pour this into the crab roast and immediately cover the pan with its lid so that all the flavor will get into the crab.

• Keep covered for 5 minutes.
• Serve the crab with rice or any flat breads.

Tips:

• You could adjust the spice level according to your needs.
• For better taste, saute the crab and onions until the onions turn caramelized.

Spicy Crab Roast

 

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Author: Thasneen

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

• Crabs, cleaned, legs separated- 3
• Cardamom, whole-2
• Cloves, whole- 2
• Cinnamon- 2 inch stick
• Star anise- 1
• Bay leaf, dry- 1
• Ginger, chopped- 2 tsp
• Garlic, chopped- 1 tsp
• Green chilies, cut half- 2
• Curry leaves- 1 sprig
• Onion, cut lengthwise- 2
• Tomatoes, chopped- 2
• Chili powder- 1 tsp
• Fennel powder- 2 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1tsp
• Ground pepper- ¼ tsp
• Cilantro, chopped- 1 handful
• Water- ¼ cup
• Salt- to taste
• Oil- 2 tbsp

For seasoning

• Coconut oil- ½ tbsp
• Mustard seeds- 1tsp
• Red pearl onions, cut lengthwise- 4
• Dry whole red chilies- 3
• Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Instructions

1. Heat a wide non-stick pan over medium heat, add oil, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise and saute.
2. When the spices turn aromatic, add ginger and saute for a minute.
3. Add garlic and green chilies and saute till the raw smell fades away.
4. Add the onions, curry leaves, salt and saute until it turns golden brown.
5. Add tomatoes to the browned onions and cook till tomatoes get mashed.
6. Add chili powder, fennel powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and saute well.
7. Add the crab and combine everything well.
8. Season the crab with salt, add water and cover the pan with its lid
9. When the crab has cooked well, open the lid and saute till all the water in it has evaporated.
10. Saute the crab until the onion starts to caramelize.
11. Garnish with cilantro and remove from the flame and keep covered.

Making the seasoning

1. Heat coconut oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, let it splutter.
2. Add small onions, curry leaves and dry red chili , saute till the onions turn golden brown.
3. Pour this into the crab roast and immediately cover the pan with its lid so that all the flavor will get into the crab.
4. Keep covered for 5 minutes.
5. Serve the crab with rice or any flat breads.

Notes

You could adjust the spice level according to your needs.
For better taste, saute the crab and onions until the onions turn caramelized.

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