Crabs - My Crustacian Obssession

My Crab Obssession cause Gastronomical Disasters & Allergies but Can't Get Enough of these Crustacians. Here's Two of my Favorite Crab Recipes, one is Oriental the other Bangali.
Recommended Food Joints for tasting these:

• Bangali : Kakrar Jhal - @ 6, Ballygunge Place
• Oriental : Black Pepper Crab - @ Mainland China

NB: Both the Restaurants are owned by the Specialty Group

Recipe for Bangali : Kakrar Jhal

Ingrediants

• Crabs - 500 gms - 2 medium sized crabs in this case (Cleaned and with their
• shells cracked)
• Red Onions - 250 gms - sliced lengthwise
• Potatoes - 250 gms - sliced lengthwise
• Tomatoes - 2 large - chopped roughly
• Green Chillies - a handful
• Ginger & Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp.
• White Mustard Paste - 1 large tablespoon
  
• Mustard Oil - 1 large Tbsp
• Whole Garam Masala - 2 Cloves, 2 small green cardamoms, 1 inch stick of
• cinnamon, several pepper corns
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp for marination, 1 tsp while cooking
• Red Chilly Powder - Kashmiri Chilly - 1 tsp.
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - 1 tsp

Method:

• Marinate the crabs for an hour in Salt and Turmeric.
• Heat the oil in a round wok or kadhai. Toss in the crabs and stir fry the
• crabs till they change colour.
• Remove crabs from the wok and keep aside. In the same oil, tip in the onions and stir fry till translucent.
• Add the potatoes and keep stirring on high heat.
  
• Add the whole garam masala and continue cooking on high heat.
  
• Add the Tomatoes and the ginger-garlic paste and keep stirring.
  
• Add some green chillies, broken in two.
  
• When the oil starts coming out from the sides, reduce heat and add the turmeric powder and chilly powder.
  
• Add the mustard paste and keep stirring. Add the crabs and pour just enough water to cover the vegetables.
  
• Raise the heat till the water comes to a boil. Add some salt and the sugar. Cover and cook till the water is reduced to at least half.
• Raise the heat and stir the curry for 5-10 mins or till the gravy isthickened. Add the juice of the quarter of a lemon.
  
• Garnish with a sliced green chilly and chopped coriander.
  
• Serve hot.

NB: Best eaten with hot rice.

Recipe for Oriental : Black Pepper Crab


Ingredients

• 2 lbs large mud crabs, claws cracked, shells removed and cleaned to dry.
• 4 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  
• 3 to 4 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
  
• 4 tbsp butter 10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  
• 10 slices young ginger
  
• 1 to 2 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tsp dark soya
  
• 2 tsp sugar (optional)
  
• oil for deep frying

Method

• Fry the black pepper in a wok or frying pan (without oil) till fragrant.
  
• Remove and keep aside. The crabs taste best if they are deep fried in very hot oil first – deep fry on all sides till the crabs turn red.
  
• Drain and keep the oil aside.
  
• Heat a wok, add the butter and when it melts and is hot, add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir fry for three minutes till the mixture is fragrant.
  
• Add the oyster sauce, soya sauce and sugar and stir well before adding the pepper.
• Stir fry a few seconds on high heat, add the crabs and stir fry one minute.
  
• Serve with the garnish.

NB: Best served with boiled rice tossed in Wok with some Spring Onions

Hope you enjoyed this culinary expedition!