Description
Kerala Style Crab Roast or Njandu Roast (ഞണ്ടു പിരളൻ) is a popular seafood delicacy in Kerala where the crab is cooked in shallots, onions, and tomato and simmered in flavorful aromatic Indian spices.
Ingredients
Scale
- 750 gm Crab, washed and cleaned
- 4 Onions, large, sliced
- 1/2 cup Shallots, sliced
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- 3-4 Green chilies, slit
- Curry leaves
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/8 cup Coconut Oil
- 1 cup Hot Water
- 2 tbsp Corinader powder
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chili powder
- 1 tsp Red Chili powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Garam Masala powder
- 1 tsp Fennel powder
- 3 Tomatoes, sliced
To Grind:
- 10-12 Shallots (ചെറിയ ഉള്ളി)
- 3 tbsp Garlic, sliced
- 2 tbsp Ginger, chopped
- 1 tbsp Fennel (പെരുംജീരകം)
- 1 tbsp Peppercorns
Instructions
- Wash and clean crabs and set aside.
- Grind the ingredients- shallots, garlic, ginger, fennel, and peppercorns coarsely and keep aside.
- To make Kerala Crab Roast, heat a pan and add coconut oil.
- Once hot, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
- Once the seeds splutter, add the sliced shallots. Saute for a couple of minutes.
- Add the sliced onion and saute until golden brown.
- Add curry leaves and green chilies.
- Add the ground shallot mixture and combine well.
- Cook for a couple of minutes until the raw smell of the ground mixture goes.
- Add the sliced tomatoes and combine well until tomatoes turn mushy and oil starts leaving the sides of the pan.
- Add all the spice powders - turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, Red chili powder, Corinader powder, Garam masala, Fennel powder, and Pepper powder. Mix well.
- Add the cleaned crabs and mix well. Make sure that all the crab meat is coated well with the masala.
- Cover and cook the crab on medium heat for about five minutes. After five minutes, mix well.
- Add about a cup of water and mix again. Cover and cook for another ten minutes.
- Serve hot with rice, appam, or ghee rice.
Notes
- You can always add another cup of hot water if you want to turn this Crab Roast into a Crab curry.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Kerala
Keywords: crab roast, kerala style crab roast, njandu roast, kuttanadan njandu roast, crab pepper fry