GOT CRABS? You need to. All the cool kids get 'em...

In my previous post titled BOU, I promised you her kankada tarkari recipe.

 

He's looking for Odiya speakers...

Kankada tarkari is just fancy schmancy foreign words for crab curry. Rather that's how ya say it in Odiya. So there ya go, you're learning culinary terms in a language that even the Last of the Mahicans deem antiquated.

 

Kiiiiiidding (I can't afford to alienate more Aunties with my blog). Anyway, so, my own Bou has made fun of me for comparing one of my relationships to chicken curry.  First of all, thanks, Bou. Always awesome to get laughed at by the woman who made ya.

 

Interestingly enough though, another ex (I swear I don't collect them) recently compared himself to my Bou's kankada tarkari and I actually kinda agree with the comparison. There's a story there. A bit of a love story. Kinda. But we'll get to that in my next post, so link back up in a coupla days for the scoop!

(In the meantime, should I be addressing why I feel the need to compare men to different types of curries? Meh. Too lazy.) 

 

So stories for later...recipes for now.

 

I've shared two versions below.

 

The first version is easier in terms of prep and the time it takes to cook. Version number 1 is a dryer curry and because there are no claws and the recipe only uses lump crab meat, its less cumbersome to eat. As an healthier alternative to eating this with rice or roti, I'll sometimes spoon it on top of endive wedges and top it off with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

 

Version 2 is a wet, the-curry- juice-is-running-down-my-elbows-while-I-go-to-town-on-these-clusters-but-I-don't-give-a-flyin'-bleeeep kinda curry. Crusty, French bread sops up the curry beautifully, though the combination is not traditional. I also love pouring this curry over a bowl of couscous or quinoa. Other times, I'll eat it with nothing else but a smile on my grubby lil face. 

I love crab in almost any avatar but when I have Bou's, whether its either of the versions below, I know two things for certain: 1. my mommy loves me (umm, even though she makes fun of me) and 2. shit ain't that crucial at the end of the day and if it is, this ALWAYS provides respite.

 

LIVE THE SPICY LIFE and get crabs the healthy way this weekend!

 

 



 

Bou made this for me last summer when I visited Nashville for some good ole home lovin'!

KANKADA TARKARI, VERSION ONE (with lump crab meat)
serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste*
• 1/2 tablespoon peeled and grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 red potatoes, medium dice
• 2 green chilies, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound cooked lump crab meat
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 cup tap water
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

How to throw down

1. Heat a large, heavy bottom pot over high heat. Add oil and heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and onions to pot and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Reduce heat/flame to medium and stir in ginger-garlic paste and grated ginger; cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add potatoes, chilies, cumin, coriander, and salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add crab meat and tomato puree and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
6. Add water and increase heat/flame to high.
7. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes; stir in garam masala and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and transfer to serving dish.

* Refer to SOMETIMES IT PAYS TO BE SUPERFICIAL: A GUIDE TO BUYING FRESH FISH found in the January blog archives for a recipe for fresh ginger-garlic paste.

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KANKADA TARKARI, VERSION 2 (with clusters)


Garam Masala Paste
yields approximately 1/2 cup paste, kinda

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon whole cumin
• 6 whole black cardamom
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup water

How to throw down

1. Soak whole spices in water for at least 1 hour but not more than 8 hours.
2. Blend spices with water to make paste.
3. Transfer to air-tight container. Holds in the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks. Then it just gets funky.

Kankada Tarkari
serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 8 small bay leaves
• 2 cinnamon sticks, crushed
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 medium red potatoes, big dice
• 1/4 cup ginger-garlic paste*
• 6 cups tap water
• 2 1/2 pounds boiled snow crab clusters
• 1/4 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala paste (see above; mix paste with 1/4 cup water before adding to curry)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

How to throw down

1. Heat a large, heavy bottom pot over high heat. Add oil and heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add bay leaves and cinnamon sticks to pot and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add onions to pot and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add turmeric, coriander, and cumin powders and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add potatoes and ginger-garlic paste to pot and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add bigger crab clusters and claws to pot, reduce heat/flame to medium, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes.
7. Add water. Increase heat/flame to high. Boil, covered, for 5 minutes.
8. Add the small crab legs to pot and continue cooking, covered, for another 3 minutes to 5 minutes.
9. Stir in tomato puree.
10. Reduce heat/flame to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
11. Add garam masala paste** and salt and continue simmering for 8 to 10 minutes.
12. Remove from heat and transfer to serving dish.

* Refer to SOMETIMES IT PAYS TO BE SUPERFICIAL: A GUIDE TO BUYING FRESH FISH found in the January blog archives for a recipe for fresh ginger-garlic paste.
**If  you don't want to make fresh garam masala paste then simply add 2 teaspoons garam masala powder to the curry after adding tomato puree. Can't stress this enough though, the fresh paste makes a HUGE difference!