Sri Lankan Crab Curry

Jewelies's Note:

This is a recipe from the Australian Women's Weekly. I haven't tried it yet but it sounded fabulous. An Aussie tablespoon is 20ml. If you use uncooked crabs, increase the cooking time of the crabs by about 15 minutes. Cook until they change colour.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 cm piece fresh ginger, grated
• 1 small red Thai chile, chopped finely
• 4 dried curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 (400 ml) cans coconut cream
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 (1 5/8 kg) cooked whole mud crabs
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes, toasted

Directions:

1. Heat oil in wok, stir-fry onion, garlic, ginger and chilli until onion softens. Add curry leaves and spices, stir-fry until fragrant. Add coconut cream, sauce and juice and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare crabs. Lift tail flap of each crab then, with a peeling motion, lift off the back of each shell. Remove and discard the gills, liver and brain matter, rinse crabs well. Cut each body in half and separate claws from bodies. You will have eight pieces.
3. Add half of the crab to the wok, simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until crab is heated through. Transfer crab to large serving bowl, cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining crab pieces.
4. Spoon curry sauce over crab, sprinkle with coconut.