Crab Masala - Ka(n)kra Kosha

Here in Bengal, we have our very own nearest sea beach at Digha and Mandarmoni, which takes just 3-4 hours to reach. We have spent quite a lot of our weekends there when we have lesser responsibilities and not enough money to plan a lavish holidays. So, it was just packing your back-pack on a friday night, take a early morning bus and reach there, book a room in a descent hotel and then go and jump into the sea. Then there was sea food, and a good nap in the afternoon. Oh,, gone are those days!! In the evening, we used to go to the local market and bought fresh fishes and sometimes crab. There are a number of stalls on the beach, where you can approach, they will cook your fish for a very nominal charge. I have had the most delicious crab preparations there, with very few ingredients. I really donot know the secret of such a good taste, may be it is because of the fresh ingredients, or the sea breeze, or the holiday mood, or whatever, but I never forget that awesome taste of fish and crab dishes I had there. 
Tried to simulate that taste with this crab masala, which is not at per with them, still it is not bad either. 

Ingredients

• Crabs - 3
• Medium Onion - 4, chopped
• Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
• Ginger Paste - 2 tsp
• Salt, turmeric
• Sugar - a pinch
• Green Chilli - 6-7, or as per taste
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander Leaves - a handful

Boil the crab pieces with salt and turmeric in two cups of water for 5 minutes. Remove and keep the stock.

Add mustard oil in a pan. Then add slit green chilli, and after a stir, add the chopped onions with a pinch of sugar and salt. Fry till golden brown, then add the garlic paste and half of ginger paste. Mix well.

Add turmeric, salt, cumin powder and fry well. Next add the boiled crab pieces and mix well with the spices.

When oil separates, add the reserved stock and mix well. Add the remaining ginger paste and stir carefully.

Boil over low heat till gravy thickens. Adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle chopped coriander and serve hot with plain rice.

Sending this to the Linkz Party of My Mixing spoon

Lau Kankra - Crab with Bottle Gourd Curry

A bit unusual recipe it is, 'Lau' or bottle gourd and 'kankra' or crab is individually quite familiar in Bengali Household. However 'Lau Chingri' or Bottle gourd shrimp curry is more common and popular dish as compared to 'Lau Kankra'. This is cooked exactly the way 'Lau Chingri' is cooked. You may cut the bottle gourd as bite size pieces, or chop them finely the way I did it. Keep it a bit juicy and enjoy with plain rice on a lazy weekend.

Ingredients

• Crabs - 3
• Bottle gourd - 2 cups, chopped
• Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Kalonji / Kalojeere - 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chili - 2
• Bay leaves - 2
• Kashmiri chili powder - 1 tsp
• green chili - 2, ( optional)
• Tomato - 1, make a paste with little water
• Salt, turmeric - as required
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Mustard oil

Clean the crab thoroughly. Mine was small one so I kept the crab body and claws whole. You may cut it into pieces, if it is too big. Rub salt and turmeric and keep aside.
Heat mustard oil. Now add the fenugreek, kalonji, bayleaf and whole red chili. Let it splutter then add the crab pieces and saute quickly.

Add chopped gourd with a pinch of salt, and turmeric. Mix well with crab. Bottle gourd should release lot of water, if you still need it, add very little and let it cook in its own juices.

Add kashmiri chili powder and slit green chili, if using and mix well. 

Cook covered over very low flame till the gourd and crab is cooked and water reduced to half. Puree one tomato with little water and add to the gourd. Mix well. Let it simmer over low heat for some more time. When water is totally reduced and oil comes out of gravy, add the sugar. Adjust seasoning. 

Garnish with chopped spring onion and serve with plain rice.

sending this post for Kolkata Food Bloggers' Durga Pujo special event:

Crab Cake

These are the fastest, easiest crab cakes I have ever made. Serve with kasundi or your favourite mustard sauce and salad.

Ingredients

• Crab Meat - 250 gms
• Egg - 1
• Onion - 2 , chopped
• Green chilli - 2, chopped
• Mayonnaise - 2 tbsp.
• Red Chilli Flakes - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves, 4 tbsp., chopped
• Bread Crumbs - As required
• Salt

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, mayonnaise, chopped green chilli, red pepper flakes, chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves and salt. Gently stir in crabmeat, being careful not to break up the eat. Gradually mix in bread crumbs, adding until desired consistency is achieved.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Make round patty of the crab mixture and carefully place them on the pan.

Shallow fry till golden brown in color. Serve with salad and your favourite sauce.

Singaporean Chilli Crab

Chili Crab is the national dish of Singapore. Crabs are stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet and savoury tomato, garlic and chilli based sauce and the result is yummy.

Ingredients

• 2 Crabs - 750 gms                                     
• Fresh garlic, minced -  2 tablespoons
• Fresh ginger, minced -1 tablespoon
• Tomato Ketchup - 5 tbsp
• Soya Sauce - 2 tbsp
• Sweet Chilli Sauce - 1 tbsp
• 1 Dry Red Chilli - minced
• Vinegar - 1 tbsp
• Egg - 1
• Spring Onion - 1 bunch
• Salt As required

Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder (optional) on the cleaned crab pieces and rub well. Marinate for 10 minutes.

In a very large pot of boiling water, parboil the crab for 3 minutes. Crabs will turn red. Strain and reserve the liquid.

Now in a large heated Kadai, add oil and swirl to coat the sides. Add the garlic, ginger, and dry chili, and stir fry for 1 minute.

Add the crab, half of spring onions and stir fry an additional 2 minutes. Now add all the sauces and vinegar, after reducing the heat to low.

Pour the reserved liquid and mix well. Cover and simmer, stirring once or twice, till the crab is cooked (6-7 minutes).

Bit the egg with a pinch of salt.

Check the gravy. If it is too watery, you may have to add one tsp corn flour mixed in cold water. Stir in the egg drop by drop in the kadai and cook until it begins to set (1 minute). Adjust the seasoning.

Arrange the crab on a large platter. Pour the sauce all over the crab and garnish with the green onion.

Serve right away with plain rice.

Bengali Crab Curry

 Bengali like freshwater as well as sea water fishes or may I say creatures. Today I got some fresh crabs  in the market so I decided to make this.........................I hope u like it as both me and my son like it very much.

Ingredients 

• 2 crabs (650 gms) 
• 3 medium-sized potatoes (halved)
• 4 medium-sized onions (minced)
• 1-tbsp ginger paste 
• 1-tbsp garlic paste
• 1-tsp green chilli paste
• 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 2-tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1-tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2 red chillies (whole)
• 1 pinch cumin (jeera)
• salt and sugar to taste
• mustard oil (4 tbsp) 
• 1/2tsp sugar for the color 

• Clean the crabs and cut it into pieces. Marinate it with turmeric powder and salt and keep it aside for approx. half an hour.

• Heat 2-tbsp oil in a kadai and fry the potatoes till golden. In the remaining oil fry the marinated crab pieces till it turns red. then remove it from the kadai and keep it aside.
   

• Heat the other 2-tbsp oil again in the kadai. After its hot enough, add 1/2 tsp sugar to it and wait till it gets caramelized (it will give a rich color to your gravy).
• Add the bay leaves and red chillies to the kadai. Once the chillies turn black add  the minced onions and fry them golden.
• Now 1 by 1 add ginger, garlic and chilli paste with a pinch of salt and fry till done .
• Add the tomatoes and stir till it gets mashed.

• Mix all the dry masalas in a little water and pour it in the kadai. Fry till the raw smell takes leave giving way to a mouth-watering aroma.
• Pour 1 cup of warm water to the kadai till it is boiling.
•  Gently  place the fried crab pieces and potatoes to the kadai.

• Cover the kadai with a lid and let it boil for 10 mins.
• Adjust the seasoning according to your taste.
• Now sit back and enjoy your crab curry (it is best enjoyed with steamed rice)

Its Ready!!!