Sri Lankan Jaffna crab curry

I prepared this curry for the first time in Sri Lankan potluck #wildasperagustable hosted by Inderpreet Nagpal, the founder of Herb’s and spices, and organised by Saloni , the cofounder at FBAI and chef Ananya Banerjee.

Our hostess Inderpreet Nagpal popularly known as Rummy decorated the buffet table with flowers, clay lamps, banana leaves and food in all earthen wares to give the whole place a rustic look, like you find inside a Sri Lankan mud house with palm thatched roofs. The whole ambiance was filled with the strong scent of jasmine flowers, aroma of coconut and freshly roasted spices .The event was superb with members bringing authentic dishes from the island like:-

I researched about Sri Lankan seafood dishes and found that the Jaffna curry powder has quite a similarity with the Chettinad masala of the Chettinad cuisine with the predominant flavours of fennel and fenugreek seeds. This curry is fragrant with the freshly homemade powdered and roasted whole spices which are integral components of Jaffna curry powder. The curry powder contains a mix of popular spices like fennel, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom and a handful of spicy red chilies. I used a mixture of Deghi mirch and kashmiri mirch to produce a rich mix of color and spiciness.

Ingredients

Jaffna curry powder

• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp green cardamom
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• handful of dried kashmiri chilies
• handful of dried red chilies

Others

• 8 to 10 crabs
• Handful fresh curry leaves
• 1 lime juice
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup tamarind water
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 onion chopped
• 3/4th cup fresh grated coconut
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger grated
• 8 to 10 cloves of garlic
• 1 Pandanas leaves
• 1 tbsp. of fresh wet turmeric root paste
• 1 cup of coconut milk

Preparation

• Marinate the crabs with lime juice and salt
• Roast the ingredients of Jaffna curry powder
• grind finely into a powder.
• Add 2 tbsp. of oil
• Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds for seasonings
• Add curry leaves
• Fry chopped onions
• grind ginger, garlic, coconut grated turmeric, pandanas leaf , curry leaves and green chilies.
• Add this paste and fry
• Add the crabs and salt.
• Cover cook for 10 to 15 minutes
• Add 2 tbsp. of Jaffna curry powder and stir thoroughly
• Add tamarind water and cook for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste
• Add coconut milk and cover cook for 5 minutes. Check salt.
• Take off the curry and serve with rice

Print

Sri Lankan Jaffna crab curry

A spicy crab curry with homemade Jaffna curry powder fragrant with the aroma of coconut milk

Course Main Course

Cuisine Sri Lankan

Keyword crab curry, crabs, seafood, seafood extravaganza, seafood lovers, srilankan recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 10 person

Author indrani

Ingredients

Ingredients

• Jaffna curry powder
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp green cardamom
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• handful of dried kashmiri chilies
• handful of dried red chilies

Others

• 8 to 10 crabs
• Handful fresh curry leaves
• 1 lime juice
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup tamarind water
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 onion chopped
• 3/4 th cup fresh grated coconut
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger grated
• 8 to 10 cloves of garlic
• 1 Pandanas leaves
• 1 tbsp. of fresh wet turmeric root paste
• 1 cup of coconut milk

Instructions

Preparation

1. Marinate the crabs with lime juice and salt
2. Roast the ingredients of Jaffna curry powder
3. grind finely into a powder.
4. Add 2 tbsp. of oil
5. Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds for seasonings
6. Add curry leaves
7. Fry chopped onions
8. grind ginger, garlic, coconut grated turmeric, pandanas leaf , curry leaves and green chilies.
9. Add this paste and fry
10. Add the crabs and salt.
11. Cover cook for 10 to 15 minutes
12. Add 2 tbsp. of Jaffna curry powder and stir thoroughly
13. Add tamarind water and cook for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste
14. Add coconut milk and cover cook for 5 minutes. Check salt.
15. Take off the curry and serve with rice

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