Grandma’s Fijian Mud Crab Curry
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Grandma’s Fijian Mud Crab Curry
Recipe By Louis Tikaram
Ingredients
1 whole mud crab (around 1.5 kg)
4 tbsp Indian hot curry powder
2 tbsp Coles sea salt
¼ cup oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
15 curry leaves
1 brown onion, diced small
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 large knob ginger, diced small
½ bunch fresh coriander
250 ml fish stock (optional alternative: veg stock)
Method
To prepare the crab:
Place the mud crabs in the freezer for 30 minutes or until the crab has fallen asleep. Turn the crab upside down and lift the tail and pull this away from the crab's belly, place your thumb on the bottom of the tail then pull away the main shell of the crab with your thumb until it is free from the rest of the body. Pluck the long grey 'dead man's fingers' and any other left over gills or shards of shell.
Place crab on a chopping board and, using a heavy bladed knife, cut the crab in half through the body. Cut off the main claw and then cut the remaining part of the body into 2 halves. Using the back of the knife, bash on the claws to crack slightly to allow the spices to flavour the meat and the crab to cook more easily.
Heat oil in a large pot to a medium high heat.
Add the mustard seeds and stir till they begin to pop, add the curry leaves followed by the onion, ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until soft.
Sprinkle in the curry powder and cook for a further 2 minutes until aromatic.
Add the crab to the pot and stir while it cooks.
Add the stock and bring to the boil then turn down the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes until the crab is cooked and liquid is reduced. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped coriander and serve.
