Recipe - Kerala style Crab Roast

It has been awhile since I have posted any of mom's recipes, has it not? 
Having posted recipes using fish, poultry, prawns, squid, veggies & sweets, the next on the list is a very tasty recipe that has been served at our home for literally decades and is a favourite even today.

I am referring to the Malabar inspired preparation of Kerala Crab Roast.

Of all the varieties, crab meat stands out for having an almost sinfully sweet taste that can be used as a main course, as a snack in the form of crab cakes and even as part of salads.

Health Benefits of Crab Meat: 

For a meat so succulent, I always imagined it was high on fat. Researching now for this article, I find I was wrong.

• Crab meat is actually very low in fat and even calories ( 83-100 calories per 100 grams as opposed to 155 for boiled eggs or 240 calories for chicken) with the majority of its calories coming from proteins. 
• Crab meat is in fact a complete protein, giving you all the 20 amino acids, helping in forming all proteins.
• It is also quite high in Vitamin B12 which enhances brain function and helps in the formation of red blood cells.  
• It is a rich source of selenium (12 times more than beef) which is useful for your anti-oxidant and immune system besides aiding your thyroid functions.
• Rich in copper and phosphorus too which aids in your red blood cell fomation alongside bone development.
• Being a sea dwelling crustacean, it is however a little too rich in its sodium content which limits its intake, especially for individuals with heart disease. The other thing to watch out for is its cholesterol content (55 to 90 mg per 100 gm of meat; your recommended daily cholesterol intake is around 300mg)

While eating crab at home, I always felt there must be some different ingredient in the masala since it tasted so different from say, a chicken or mutton roast. Turns out it was just the uniqueness of the crustacean's flavour, itself. A well prepared crab curry or roast is an absolute delight and I realized that when I recently visited one of Kerala's most popular seafood restaurants and came back unimpressed by the blandness of their crab dish.

Our style of preparation adds a certain level of heat and spice which wonderfully matches this delectable meat resulting in a dish that will have you struggling to stop at just a few pieces, cholesterol be damned!

INGREDIENTS:

Crab 1/2 kilogram (cleaned & cut)

Onions 4 (sliced)

Tomatoes 2 (chopped)

Curry leaves 3 springs

Coriander powder 3 teaspoons

Chilly powder 2 teaspoons

Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon

Salt (to taste)

Oil 4 tablespoons.

To be ground coarsely:

Ginger 1 inch

Garlic 10 cloves

Green chillies 3

Peppercorn 2 teaspoons

Fennel seeds 2 teaspoons.

RECIPE:

Heat oil in a pan. 

Add curry leaves followed by onions and saute them till you get a light brown colour. 

Add the coarsely ground paste and saute further till the raw smell disappears. 

Next, add the remaining powders and fry for a minute. 

Add the chopped tomatoes into this mixture and saute till the oil starts to separate. 

Finally, add your crab pieces with salt. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Cook till you get a dry consistency.

Kerala style crab roast is best served with rice.

Click the image to convert it to its full size and download the recipe

Expect to see the odd food recipe like this at Godyears too - all prepared by my mother - from recipes she has collected as far back as the 1980's - with some unique to Kerala cuisine and some variations of international dishes. 

Since the goal is to share, I will be looking to make all the recipes into easy downloadable single images as well so that you can save them on to your mobile/device and use them offline. Of course, if you do try them out, it would be awesome if you gave me (and her) feedback here on what you thought of the dish.

For the list of all the recipes so far (including seafood, egg dishes, sweets, twists on traditional dishes et al), click here:

For more food posts,  you can just check out the Category on Godyears labeled "Foodgasm" here.