Mud Crab Curry

Serve this crab curry for a dish that looks as impressive as it tastes.

Mud Crab Curry

SERVES 4 PREP TIME 25MINS COOK TIME 35MINS

Ingredients

  • -2 small live mud crabs (about 900g each)
  • 800ml coconut milk
  • 2 cups (400g) jasmine rice, rinsed
  • 1/4 cup (60g) ghee
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 5cm piece (25g) ginger, thinly sliced into matchsticks
  • 3 long red chillies, halved lengthways
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves, crumbled
  • 2 pandanus leaves (optional – from Asian food shops), tied in a knot
  • 1 tsp tamarind puree

CURRY POWDER

  • 1 tsp each black peppercorns and fenugreek seeds, toasted
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
  • 1 tbs coriander seeds, toasted
  • 1/2 tsp each ground turmeric and aniseeds (substitute fennel seeds), toasted
  • 1 cinnamon quill, halved
  • 2 curry leaf sprigs, leaves picked, plus extra 6 sprigs

Method

  1. To make curry powder, place peppercorn, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, turmeric and aniseed in a small blender and whiz until finely ground. Stir through cinnamon and curry leaves.
  2. Freeze crabs for 2 hours to put them to sleep. Place 1 crab at a time on its back on a chopping board. Working quickly, lift the abdominal flap and insert a knife through the body directly underneath where the tip of the flap was. Then insert knife through the shallow depression at the front of the body, below the mouthparts, at an angle. Remove shell and reserve. Discard gills and quarter crabs. Using a rolling pin, gently crack claws part-way through. Transfer crab pieces and reserved shell to a bowl and toss through curry powder and half the coconut milk. Chill to marinate.
  3. To make the coconut rice, place rice 225ml water and remaining 400ml coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stand, covered, for 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Gently stir with a fork.
  4. To make the curry, heat ghee in a large saucepan over high heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and chilli, and cook, stirring regularly, for 4 minutes or until softened. Add crab mixture, kaffir lime, pandanus leaves, if using, tamarind puree and extra curry leaf sprigs. Stir until well combined. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until crab is red and cooked through. Serve immediately with coconut rice.