The Hamilton Spectator

Exotic flavours in crab curry from Sri Lanka

- CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA

As any fan of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain knows, food is more than raw ingredient­s.

To understand a bowl of noodles or a perfectly formed dumpling, a foodie must understand the people who make it, the place where it is made, and the deeply rooted history of both.

Halfway across the world, in the small-yet-mighty city-state of Singapore, students are embarking on the journey of a lifetime at the Culinary Institute of America’s first internatio­nal location.

Bachelor’s degree candidates studying toward an Asian Cuisines concentrat­ion spend a semester at the CIA’s Singapore location learning from world-renowned chefs, a vibrant culinary scene, and travels through neighbouri­ng countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.

On a recent visit to Sri Lanka, students explored the local flavours of traditiona­l curries. The country has a wealth of ingredient­s that were historical­ly inaccessib­le in other parts of the world, resulting in flavourful combinatio­ns of spices, produce, and proteins.

Inspired by the journey, the class prepared this recipe for Sri Lankan Crab Curry, a spiced (and a little spicy) mixture that is exploding with flavours and ingredient­s that you may not use every day. Alongside the familiar coconut milk, garlic, and lime juice, you’ll find sour tamarind paste, earthy pandan leaves, and nutty fenugreek seeds.

While you may not find some of these ingredient­s in your everyday grocery store, they should be easily found at a well-stocked Asian market or through online retailers. If not, ask around the market for suggestion­s to replace the hard-to-find ingredient­s.

The beauty of a curry is that, while every ingredient plays a role, there is enough flavour to go around so minor omissions or substituti­ons won’t ruin the recipe.

Sri Lankan Crab Curry

MAKES 8 SERVINGS 3 tablespoon­s Curry Powder (recipe below) Two 2-pound crabs, top shell, gills, and guts removed (see note) ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 3 tbsp Indian chili powder ¼ tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed ½ cup coconut oil 1 cup sliced shallots ¼ cup sliced garlic 2 sprigs curry leaves (about 15 fresh leaves) 1 long green chili, sliced 2 cups coconut milk ½ cup tamarind paste, soaked then strained 4 fresh pandan leaves 1 cup coconut cream 2 tbsp lime juice, plus more as needed Curry Powder 6 cardamom pods 1 cinnamon stick 2 tsp coriander seed 1 tbsp cumin seed 1 tbsp fennel seed 6 whole cloves 1 tsp fenugreek seed 1 tsp Indian chili powder 6 dried curry leaves

Start to finish: 1 hour; active time: 15 minutes

To prepare the curry powder, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the cardamom pods and toast, stirring occasional­ly, until the pods have darkened slightly and are fragrant, about one minute. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the cinnamon stick and toast until it is also slightly darkened and fragrant.

Transfer to a bowl, and then repeat with the coriander, cumin, fennel, cloves and fenugreek until all are toasted. Add the chili powder and curry leaves to the mixture and grind in a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder. Set aside. Cut each crab into quarters. Crack the claws, but leave them attached. In a shallow dish, combine the crab, curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, and salt, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerat­e for 30 minutes.

Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and curry leaves and cook until softened, about one minute. Add the green chili and crab and cook until aromatic, about three minutes.

Add the coconut milk, tamarind paste, and pandan leaves and stir to combine. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the crab is fully cooked, about 12 minutes. If the mixture seems too dry, add additional coconut milk or water ¼ cup at a time.

Remove from the heat and add coconut cream and lime juice, and season with salt, to taste, before serving.

Chef’s note: If you prefer, you can substitute 8 ounces of lump crabmeat for the whole crabs. In that case, skip the marinating step and add the curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, and salt with the green chili and lump crabmeat in Step 3, then continue as written.

Per serving: 455 calories (241 from fat); 27 grams fat (23 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 43 milligrams cholestero­l; 405 mg sodium; 39 g carbohydra­te; 3 g fibre; 22 g sugar; 16 g protein.

 ?? PHIL MANSFIELD, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Sri Lankan Crab Curry is a spiced (and a little spicy) mixture exploding with flavours and ingredient­s that you may not use every day. Alongside the familiar coconut milk, garlic and lime juice, you’ll find sour tamarind paste, earthy pandan leaves and...
PHIL MANSFIELD, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sri Lankan Crab Curry is a spiced (and a little spicy) mixture exploding with flavours and ingredient­s that you may not use every day. Alongside the familiar coconut milk, garlic and lime juice, you’ll find sour tamarind paste, earthy pandan leaves and...

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