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Jaffna crab curry recipe
Created by Peter Kuruvita
- Cuisine: Sri Lankan
- Prep Time: 15 min(s)
- Cook Time: 35 min(s)
- Serves 4
Jaffna cuisine is renowned for its use of the fresh seafood readily available along the coast and the region is famous for crab curries. Prepare to get your hands dirty with this recipe!
Ingredients
2 x 1.2kg live mud crabs2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
½ cup grated fresh coconut (see note)
50g ghee
1 tsp black mustard seeds (see note)
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 red onion, quartered, sliced
10 curry leaves
3 long green chillies, finely chopped
1 tbs Jaffna curry powder (see note)
2 tsp ground chilli
¼ tsp ground turmeric
400ml (1⅔ cups) coconut milk
1 tbs seedless tamarind purée (see note)
1 sprig murunga (drumstick), leaves picked (see note)
½ lime, juiced
Steamed rice (optional), to serve
Preparation
Level of difficulty: confident cookFreezing time: 2 hours
To prepare crabs, place them in the freezer for 2 hours to put them into a stupor. Place each one on its back with the eyes facing you, then drive a thick skewer or the point of a sharp knife between the eyes and into the centre of the crab. Break off tail flaps on the underside and discard. Carefully pull off back shells and reserve. Cut each crab in half lengthwise, then remove the ‘dead man’s fingers’ (soft gills) and discard. Rinse and discard the stomach sac. Cut each crab half into 3. Leave the large claws attached, but crack them with the heel of a knife.
Place cumin seeds and peppercorns in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook for 2 minutes or until toasted. Transfer to a mortar, wipe pan clean with paper towel and return pan to high heat. Add grated coconut and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until golden, then add to cumin seed mixture with 1 tbs water. Grind to a smooth paste with a pestle and set aside. Alternatively, process in a small food processor to a paste.
Heat ghee in a large, heavy-based saucepan over high heat, add mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds or until seeds pop. Add fennel seeds and cook for a further minute or until fennel seeds start to brown. Add onion, curry leaves and chillies, and cook for 4 minutes or until onion is browned. Add curry powder, ground chilli and turmeric, and stir to combine. Add crab and reserved crab shells, and cook, stirring constantly so the spices don’t burn, for 3 minutes or until crab starts to change colour.
Combine spiced coconut paste, coconut milk, tamarind purée and 500ml (2 cups) water in a bowl. Add to crab mixture and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, tossing crab halfway, for 12 minutes or until crab is just cooked. Increase heat to medium, remove lid and simmer for 4 minutes or until liquid is slightly thickened. Season with salt and stir in murunga leaves and lime juice.
Divide crab among bowls and spoon over some curry sauce. Serve with rice, if desired, and remaining curry sauce.
Note
Place cumin seeds and peppercorns in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook for 2 minutes or until toasted. Transfer to a mortar, wipe pan clean with paper towel and return pan to high heat. Add grated coconut and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until golden, then add to cumin seed mixture with 1 tbs water. Grind to a smooth paste with a pestle and set aside. Alternatively, process in a small food processor to a paste.
Heat ghee in a large, heavy-based saucepan over high heat, add mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds or until seeds pop. Add fennel seeds and cook for a further minute or until fennel seeds start to brown. Add onion, curry leaves and chillies, and cook for 4 minutes or until onion is browned. Add curry powder, ground chilli and turmeric, and stir to combine. Add crab and reserved crab shells, and cook, stirring constantly so the spices don’t burn, for 3 minutes or until crab starts to change colour.
Combine spiced coconut paste, coconut milk, tamarind purée and 500ml (2 cups) water in a bowl. Add to crab mixture and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, tossing crab halfway, for 12 minutes or until crab is just cooked. Increase heat to medium, remove lid and simmer for 4 minutes or until liquid is slightly thickened. Season with salt and stir in murunga leaves and lime juice.
Divide crab among bowls and spoon over some curry sauce. Serve with rice, if desired, and remaining curry sauce.
Note
If you can’t find fresh coconut, use frozen shredded coconut, available from Asian food shops, or substitute moistened dried coconut flakes. Check out the coconut grater that Peter uses at Flying Fish in Bite-Size Pieces.
Black mustard seeds are available from selected supermarkets and delis.
Jaffna curry powder and tamarind purée/paste are available from Asian food shops.
Murunga leaves, commonly known as drumstick leaves, are available from Asian grocers. Substitute 2 tbs chopped parsley and an extra squeeze of lime.
Drink 2009 Mantlerhof Gelber ‘Muskateller’.
Jaffna curry powder and tamarind purée/paste are available from Asian food shops.
Murunga leaves, commonly known as drumstick leaves, are available from Asian grocers. Substitute 2 tbs chopped parsley and an extra squeeze of lime.
Drink 2009 Mantlerhof Gelber ‘Muskateller’.
If you enjoyed this Jaffna crab curry recipe then browse more Sri Lankan recipes, curry recipes, seafood recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.
Sri Lankan Restaurants
Displaying 10 of 34 Sri Lankan Restaurants.
| Restaurant | Book Online | Suburb | |
| 1. | Araliya | Hawthorn | |
| 2. | Blue Elephant | Pennant Hills | |
| 3. | Radio Cairo | Cremorne | |
| 4. | Annalakshmi on the Swan | Perth | |
| 5. | 7 Spices | Applecross | |
| 6. | Woodapple | Hampton | |
| 7. | Tas Ceylon | Lenah Valley | |
| 8. | Banana Leaf | City | |
| 9. | Jazzi's Indian & Continental Restaurant | South Hurstville | |
| 10. | Flavour of Ceylon | Parramatta |
Comments (2)
07 Jun 2012 09:16 AEST
Gary
Sydney
Murunga leaves
Murunga leaves has zero hits on Google, but Moringa Tree (drumstick Tree) has endless hits
Agree(0 people agree)
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