Categorized | Fish
Curry crab without dumplings.
Posted on 02 August 2009
The traditional dish is Curry Crab with Dumplings when visiting Tobago, the sister island of Trinidad. However I’m a bit too lazy today to make dumplings, but I promise to post a recipe soon enough. It was about 3 years ago we were in Tobago for a few days when at Store Bay getting ready to board a boat to go snorkeling, my sister got me some curry crab and dumplings to try. I must admit that it was a bad experience. Maybe it was the heat and the heavy dish or the curry was overdone, but it was not the same as I remembered as a young fella on the islands. There wasn’t that rich creamy, spicy.. lick your fingers taste that I grew up on.
Here’s a simple version of this famous dish on the sister island. I opted not to cook the curry as it would normally be done (instead I seasoned the crab with the curry… a bit milder taste) and the crab I’m using is what I could find here at the local Asian market. At least it was fresh. Normally we use the big fat blue crabs that’s found in the mangrove swamps on the islands.
You’ll need…
2 lbs crab cleaned and cut into pieces.
1 can coconut milk (165 ml / 5.6 fl oz)
1/2 med onion sliced
1/2 large tomato diced
1/4 habanero pepper – optional (use your fav hot pepper)
1 1/2 table spoon madras curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 scallion sliced
1 cup water
1 lime or lemon for washing the crab
1 tablespoon green seasoning
1/4 teaspoon geera (cumin)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Note: If you don’t have the green seasoning mixture, combine 1 tablespoon each of (chopped fine) – shado beni or cilantro, thyme, shallot, celery and Spanish type or oregano.
Let’s start by washing the pieces of crab (I cut each crab into 4 pieces) by using the juice of the lime and water (not the water mentioned in the recipe), then drain. I would highly recommend that you get the people at your fish market to remove the back and cut the crab for you as this can be a bit tricky when they’re trying to claw you. I love watching our daughters squirm as I take the crabs apart so I opted to do this step myself.
Now using all the ingredients mentioned above, except the oil, water and coconut milk, season the crab and allow to marinate for a couple hrs in the fridge.
Remove from the fridge about 15 minutes before cooking to bring back to room temperature. In a saucepan heat the oil on high, then try to get some of the onions, garlic, pepper and tomato from the bowl with the seasoned crab and cook it a bit in the hot oil. If you can get some of the curry liquid at the bottom of the bowl, add that as well. Allow this to cook for a few minutes, then add the whole lot of seasoned crab to the pot. Stir to coat all the pieces of crab with the curry sauce, bring to a boil, then cover the sauce pan and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Allow this to cook for about 5 minutes, then raise the heat back to high to burn off all the liquid. After which, add the cup of water and bring back to a simmer. This should cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Now add the coconut milk and again on a gentle simmer allow this to cook until the sauce is thick (covered sauce pan). Usually about 8 minutes. The coconut milk will make the curry very mild, so if you wish you can avoid the coconut milk and use more water for a stronger curry flavour. At the end you can top with some chopped cilantro for an extra punch of freshness.
Here’s a pic I took while visiting the San Fernando market of the blue crabs that’s traditionally used for curry crabs and dumplings. It’s claws are tied with the leaves of the coconut tree to prevent them from biting the customers.
33 Responses to “Curry crab without dumplings.”
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I love, love, love crab curry!
.-= Cynthia´s last blog ..A slice of this, a loaf of that and a bowl of the other =-.
OMG. Thanks for the last photo of the blue crab. When I first went to Trinidad from the UK (age 10), my younger cousin from Canada and I would play with the crabs by touching their eyes. They would drop down. Those poor crabs, but they tasted great in crab callaloo!!
Funny enough.. we did the same thing a skids.
Great! Just what I was looking for. Thanks a lot. Suzanne. NL
Don;t forget to keep coming back and trying some of the other recipes.
Too Too Good. Curry crab is one of my favorites. Sometime I add a few potatoes and
carrots to the recipe. Thanks Chris.
Gotta try adding some potatoes as you suggested next time.
The potatoes help to thicken the sauce, I normally add one (depending on the amount of crab). I find if I add more it takes away from the flavour of the crab. What I do differently from the recipe above, I fry the curry first. I don't mix it in the crab while seasoning because the coconut milk already makes the curry a bit mild (this way I still get that curry taste along with the coconut flavour) Love this site btw. You are making us "Trini" proud.
Chris man! I'm loving this site!!! Next friday im having a lil get together to celebrate my friends! And one of the things i wanted to expose them too is ah good crab and dumpling boi! ah glad this here so i could get a refresher!!! i also didnt kno where to get the crabs here in Toronto so glad you mentioned an Asian market! I'll let yuh kno how it turns out!
B
Nice.. I'm sure it was boss!
These crabs look so much better than the crabs I saw in Tobago
I have to give this a try.
<a http://akalol.wordpress.com/2010/08/22/tobago-cra… Crab Without the Dumpling
poor crab can't survive in Bago.. restaurants have them running scared
Last week I made Crab with Dumplin' using good-quality lump crab meat. Turned out great! Here in DC we can't find live crabs, but found a good substitute in the lump crab. Trying the same dish today with some lobster meat. It's bubbling on the stove as I type this. Wish me luck!
Dawn, you can find live crabs at the warf on Maine ave, SW DC and in almost all Korean markets? Good luck!
Hi Dawn. The waterfront in DC sells live crabs and is open most day. I picked up half a dozed today.
lobster meat.. now that is something I must try. love the suggestion about crab meat as well.
Chris, I made this last night and combined some head on shrimp in the mix. Can you say DELISH!! My friend from trinidad has complimented me on my curry chicken by licking his fingers after he ate and said" Man, You is a TRINI!!" I love it as I am as american as apple pie. I give you the credit my brother cause I check your tutorials before attempting most carribean dishes. Thanks Chris and keep those recipes coming…
I LOVE IT!!!! And so did my husband and children…but I added dumplings as it reminded me of my Grannie. Thanks for posting this you are AWESOME! Keep 'em coming.
Sorry Chris. I do not like shell fish; but guess many will enjoy your curry crab.
Chris, you may laugh at this but I use a hard tooth brush to scrub the crabs and a pair of scissors to trim their toenails. I bought these things especially for cleaning them and after it is stored safely for another time.
Good one Doowati, groom the crab before cooking it. lol
I need to try this recipe asap! Just told my bf that I want to and he's like, "Pleeease do!" He loves curry crab. Thanks so much for all the recipes!
Hi Chris thanks for all your wonderful recipes,i enjoy making them and your picture instructions are the bomb,i recently went to a wake and they serve Salt fish which was made different to salt fish souse,and i enjoyed eating this recipe,so i am sharing it, adjust seasoning to amt of salt fish soaked, 1.scallions 2onion 3 green bell pepper 4 red bell pepper 5thyme 6 garlic 7seasoning pepper 8 oil rinse the salt fish and shred with hands , squeeze out excess water add some lime juice on salt fish and mix up with hand,add salt fish to saute seasoning with a little black pepper mix up together and serve.hope u try it if u have not already tried it, i also grew up having Conkie and calla loo,i don't know if you know the recipe for it ,it is made with cornmeal as i remember and wrap in coconut leaf.thank you again Rose,(recipe from a Guyanese) and thank u for the crab recipe.
Hi Chris ,Rose again i have a hard time finding seasoning pepper unless i send home for it do you know where i can purchase it in new york long island or Brooklyn.
hey Chris that crab looking finger licking good, i am so moving into your house, hope you have extra space, waiting for the dumplins
Hi Chris, just saw your curry crab, well i am not from Tobago, but where i am from we use to cook up this quit often since we live right by the sea and to catch all we needed was a piece of tree bark and a piece of meat, and before you know it we had our self a bucket of crab. thanks for the memory, those were the good old. this week-end i will be cooking this crab and dumpling
Hi Chris! This crab looks amazing. I will try it,because I love seafoods. Thank you.
You’re the boss Chris! Mud Crab curry for lunch here today in OZ. Thanks so much for your recipes. We live by them here!
I have been wanting to try this recipe for long and am finally trying it tomorrow! Whale soft-shell crabs on sale at local seafood market, soo excited! Thank you!
Hi Chris, Thank you for the lovely recipes…I am originally from Guyana but living in the UK for nearly 40 years…love your crab and spinach it was delicious…next thing I am going to try is the Karela yummi …will let you know when I do cook it as it seems only I would enjoy it something I loved when we were living in Guyana…Thank you so much….Zora
Love it reminds me of the crabmarket in surinam . We ea sweett it wit rice. And we add potato or sweet potato to it. Funny how we have similaar food in the americas
I'm from Jamaica and my husband is Trini. I tried this recipe and it was fabulous!! Thanks
love curry crab, Chris are you familiar with the hairy crab that was my favorite (curry )with cassava dumplings My mom( Indian God rest her soul) she even curry what they called chitterlings here Oh my goodness loved her curry whatever she curried was the best