10 March 2012

Njandu Varutharachathu/ Crab with Roasted Coconut and Spices

It's been so long that we cooked crab at home. I just love it. I know its another non veg recipe but can't stop myself from posting it. It turned out so delicious and it was the first time I made it myself. Usually Amma makes it and it is so yumm. I remember my childhood days when my dad and his friends would go crab fishing in the shallow beach at Ras- Abu- Aboud , Doha. Yeah..Yeah! They used to go with just simple nets and get such huge crabs. I used to be horrified seeing them crawl. There used to be jelly fish too. Really miss those days...



Njandu Varutharachathu
Recipe Source - Grihalaxmi

Ingredients

Njandu/Crab - 4 or 5 

Masala 1 (to be roasted and ground into fine paste)
Coconut - 1 1/2 cup
Shallots - 3
Curry Leaves - 1 + 3
Coriander Powder- 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Water - as required


Masala 2
Chilly - 2 (slit)
Ginger - 1'' piece (finely chopped)
Tomato - 1 large (thinly chopped)
Tamarind / Valan Puli - size of half a lime.
Water - 1/2 cup (to soak the tamarind)
Chilly powder-  1 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required

Water - 1 1/2 cup*

For seasoning
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Shallots - 6 (chopped round)
Garlic- 2
Curry Leaves - 1sprig
Coriander Leaves - 1 tablespoon
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp




METHOD
Roast the coconut along with shallots and 1 sprig curry leaves in a kadai.
When it turns brown switch off the flame and add the remaining masala along with 3 sprigs curry leaves and mix well.**
Grind the masala into fine paste adding very little water.
In a clay pot keep the masala 2 ready. Squeeze the tamarind well in water and pour the water it into the pot.
Clean and chop the crab into half.
Add the crab into the masala. Mix well.
Add salt and let it cook on medium flame and bring to a boil. Let cook for appox 5 min on medium low flame.
Add the roasted and ground masala. Add water and mix well.
Check salt and let it come to a boil.
Let it cook for about 5 minutes on medium low flame or till the gravy thickens.
In a kadai heat oil. Add mustard and let it splutter.
Add shallots and garlic. Stir.
Add curry leaves. Remove from flame. Add the seasoning to the curry and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve it with steaming rice or with any roti.



Cooking tips:
Make sure you refrigerate the crab and remove it just before cooking ie. after all the required masala is ready.I used small crabs.
**There is no need to add any oil while roasting the coconut as oil will come out of the coconut as you roast. Keep stirring and be careful not to burn it. As you see it is about to brown lower the flame. Add very little water while grinding. The water specified here is to be added while mixing this masala with crab.
* Make sure you stir the masalas well as the heat of the roasted coconut is enough to remove the raw smell  of it.
Add more warm water if you like thinner gravy as the gravy tends to thicken even after cooking.

17 comments:

  1. Simply yummy looking crab curry. Looks so tempting.

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

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  2. Hmmm am drooling here. Looks so spicy and delicious

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  3. Never tried crab before...looks delicious chechy.

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  4. Rinku, adipoli n awesome presentation...

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  5. Amazing Rinku...Drooling over your njandu curry .. Torture !

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  6. Very tempting recipe ..............

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  7. Oh my my... It is a lazy sunday afternoon and your pics makes me drool!!
    Superb!!!

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  8. That's making me hungry now.Never got around the fear of preparing the crab,but don't mind if someone gives me this in a plate ;-)
    Rinku,sorry about getting back late. No,I am talking about a different Bindu. She did degree with me in Aloysius :-)

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  9. Looks slurp slurp Rinku!! Except that I can't eat crabs..what a pity :((

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  10. kallakki...looks amazing..am sure it was yummmmmmmm!

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  11. This looks really very healthy and delicious too....thanx dear 4 sharing this......
    Maha

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  12. Rinku adipoli aayitonda....very appealing....love the thick gravy

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  13. delicious.. my all time fav.. kore aayi njandu vaangiyittu :)

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  14. Nice recipe....beautiful presentation...looks yumm.

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  15. Thank you for your encouraging comment, Rinku- This looks soooo good, your photography's wonderful too.

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