Crab curry (Roasted coconut gravy)

We decided to wrap up the year 2010 with our post of  this delicious crab curry.  Very popular in North Kerala, this is a must try for any seafood lover.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Crab Pieces: 10

Onions (sliced): 1 

Garlic (chopped): 2 teaspoon

Ginger (chopped): 2 teaspoon

Green Chili (chopped): 2-3

Tomatoes (chopped): 2

Chili Powder: 1 1/2 tablespoons

Turmeric Powder: 1 teaspoon

Coriander Powder: 2 tablespoons

Dried Red Chili: 2-3

Grated Coconut: 1/2 cup

Mustard Seeds: 1 teaspoon

Curry Leaves: handful

Oil

Salt to taste

* We used the cut crab pieces we got from Asian store

To make Roasted coconut, in a pan dry roast the grated coconut for 6-7 minutes. Add 1/2 tablespoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon coriander powder, 1 dried red chili and saute well. sprinkle some salt and saute until the coconut is golden brown (check the ingredient pic)

Heat some oil in a pan, add ginger, garlic, green chilies and onions. Sprinkle some salt and saute well for 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile grind the roasted coconut to a smooth paste. Add chopped tomatoes, crab pieces, chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and saute. Once tomatoes are cooked add the ground paste and mix well. Add enough water and let crab simmer in this gravy on medium heat. Crab meat cooks very fast and can be recognized when it turns into a whitish color. Adjust salt and spice level according to you liking. 

For final seasoning, heat some oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves and pour it to the curry.