The Epic Hungry Boy Crab Roast ( Kerela)

In the Hungry boy kitchen , Sunday mornings are always about a hearty look forward to lunch and today seemed to be no different . Having got my hands on these beautiful red crabs cleaned and dressed to my liking , this dish had to be the centerpiece on the table . Doused liberally with good amounts of coconut goodness , this , when accompanied with a simple bowl of rice and some papadams will satiate any hunger pang coming your way . Also , now that I have made this , I can confidently tell that this cook is fairly simple and all one really needs to do is focus on the spice mix and the slow cooking process . Besides that , it is merely just a toss in of the ingredients into the pot and let the simmering earthenware and the spices do the ''cooking ''.

A south Indian friend of mine tells me that the crabs from the backwaters are specifically more tasty and that the big red colored ones are the ones which are good to roast while the blue ones are used to prepare curries .

Things you will need

• A medium sized clay pot or Iron Kadai

• 500 gms of cleaned crab , portioned as per your own liking

• 01 - 02 green chilli , finely chopped

• 12-15 curry leaves , washed and cleaned

• 04 tbsp. Coconut Oil

For the Marinade :

• 02 tbsp. of coconut milk

• 02 tbsp. finely chopped ginger

• 10-12 pods of garlic , finely chopped

• 01 tbsp. onion paste

• 01 tbsp. coconut oil

• Salt as per taste

For the Spice Mix ( Dry Roast all of the below spices and

grind to a fine powder )

• 5 dry red chilies

• 01 tbsp. pepper corns

• 01 tbsp. cumin seeds

• 1/2 tbsp. fennel

• 1/3 tsp fenugreek seeds

• 1/2 bay leaf

Steps to follow :

• In a glass bowl , mix all the marinade ingredients along with the spice mix and combine everything together . Throw in the crab and rub the marinate into the crevices. Allow this to marinade for 01 hour , covered.

• In an earthen pot , heat the coconut oil and toss in the green chilies , curry leaves and sauté lightly . Next , add in the marinated crab and sauté on high heat for another 05 - 08 minutes , stirring continuously .

• Check the amount of moisture released from the crab and add in a sprinkle of water , if needed.

• Continue to slow cook this for the next 30 min , till the oil is fully released from the masala .Keep an eye on the roasting and keep adding small portions of water ( sprinkling , only if needed ) to prevent the roast from burning .

• Once done , serve hot , finishing off with some coconut oil on the top and roasted coconut slivers. Enjoy this bowl of tropical goodness !