Indonesian Curried Crab

Title:
Indonesian Curried Crab

Yield:
4 Servings

Categories:
Indonesian,
Seafood




Ingredients:





          Stephen Ceideburg


     2    Blue crabs


     6    Shallots


     2    Stalks lemon grass


     2 ts Tamarind


   1/2 c  Boiling water


     1    Handful coriander leaves


     3    Cloves garlic


     1 tb Fresh galangal


     2    To 3 birdseye chillies,


          -seeded


     4    Candlenuts


     1 ts Blachan


     1 ts Tumeric


          Salt and pepper to taste


     3 tb Oil


     2 c  Coconut milk






 Cut 4 green blue swimmers into quarters with a cleaver or large knife. With


 a hammer, gently crack the claws and harder sections of shell. Finely chop


 6 shallots and 2 stalks lemon grass. Steep 2 teaspoons tamarind in half a


 cup of boiling water. Chop a handful of fresh coriander leaves. In a food


 processor, grind together 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh galangal, 2-3


 birdseye chillies, seeded, 4 candlenuts (or substitute 8-10 cashews) and 1


 teaspoon blachan (hard dark brown shrimp paste), 1 teaspoon turmeric and


 salt and pepper to taste. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large wok or pan, and


 fry the paste until fragrant. Add shallots, lemon grass, crab pieces and 2


 cups coconut milk. Simmer for quarter of an hour. Strain the tamarind water


 and add half to the sauce. Taste and add more if you wish. Ladle curvy into


 a serving dish and scatter the fresh coriander on top. Serve with plain


 rice.