Butter Garlic Crab with a twist

I used frozen blue crabs that I sourced from my local Sri Lankan store. This shop stocks all the veg and spices that I would normally find in a local shop back home in Mumbai. It is an absolute gem of a shop and for the first time I bought the crabs -I’m a little wary of frozen sea food but these crabs were superb and tasted just like the crabs my mum would buy fresh from the fish monger. This recipe started off as a normal butter garlic pepper crab recipe but towards the end of the cooking I add some fried onions and desiccated coconut and the result was sensational

Ingredients:

• 500 gms blue crabs (shelled and cleaned)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tbsp fried onions
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp dried parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• salt to taste
• 1 veg stock cube
• 1 cup of water

Method:

Heat the oil in heavy bottom pan and add the butter.

Once the butter is melted add the minced garlic and garlic paste, cook for about a minute.

Add the pepper powder and stir it well.

Add the cleaned crabs and ensure it is well coated with the butter mixture. Keep tossing the crabs in the mixture.

After a couple of minutes add the veg stock cube (you could even use a stock pot) and the water and mix well.

Add the chilli powder, chilli flakes and the fried onions at the stage and mix well.

Keep tossing the crabs and cook for about 10 minutes, then add the desiccated coconut and parsley and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Serve hot with bread, chapattis, naan or parathas.