Ingredients:

Crabs(Njandu) – 1 kg (cleaned with shells on)
Garlic pods(minced) – 6 nos
Ginger(minced) – 1″ piece
Green chillies(slit) – 2 nos
Tamarind(Puli) pulp or paste – 1/2 tsp
Tomato(chopped) – 1 no
Medium Onion – 2 nos (finely chopped)
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Dry red chilly(Kollamulaku) – 1 no
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt – As reqd
Veg oil – 1 tbsp
Water – 300 ml
Coriander leaves(chopped) for garnishing – A small bunch

Method:

1)Heat oil in a pan.
2)Add curry leaves and red chilly and cook for 30 seconds.
3)Add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
4)Add the chopped onions and cook, until soft and transparent.
5)Add green chillies, garam masala, turmeric and salt, stir and cover.
6)If you are using the tamarind pulp, make a paste with some warm water and add this to the pan as well and cook for 2 minutes.
7)Add the chopped tomatoes, the uncooked crab and mix well.
8)Add water and cook on low heat for 30 minutes, until the crab is cooked.
9)Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice.

Ingredients:

* 15 oz whole crab
* 2 big potatoes
* 2 onions
* 2 cloves
* 2 cardamom
* 0.5 inch stick of cinnamon
* 3 inches ginger
* 5 cloves garlic
* 1 medium sized tomato
* 2 tsp jeera powder
* 1 tsp red chili powder
* 2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp sugar
* mustard oil

Precision Demanded:
You should stick to above quantities religiously. Timings listed below need some judgement.

Method:

* Clean the crab.
* Mince the ginger and garlic into a paste.
* Chop onions fine.
* Peel and chop potatoes, and wash ‘em.
* Heat the oil. Put in cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and fry for a minute. Put in the crabs and fry at high temperature. It will splutter and fume– do not lose nerve. When crabs are fried, take them out and put them aside. This should take 3-4 minutes of frying at high temperature, at most 5 minutes.
* Fry the potatoes for 2 minutes. Add the minced onions. Fry till the onions are well done. Put in the ginger and garlic paste and cook for a minute– the aroma of ginger and garlic should be apparent. Now put in the chopped tomatoes. Add jeera, chili, salt and sugar. Fry, occasionally adding water to prevent burning until the oil seperates.
* Put the crab back in and mix well. Add water enough to drown the mixture and boil for 15 minutes.