Crab Biriyani / Nandu Biriyani - Wild Seafood Feast:)

Crab Biriyani:

For Biriyani:

Crab 1 large - if you like, cut them into heavy chunks
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 2
Cardamon pods 3
Bay leaves 2
Maratti mokku 2
Star anise 1
Basmati rice 2 cups
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 sliced
Tomato 1 large chopped
Garlic 2 cloves made into paste
Ginger 2" size peeled and made into paste
Mint leaves 1 fistful
Coriander leaves alone few
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Curd 1 cup
Salt
Chili powder
Ghee 1/4 cup.

Method:

In a crock pot, heat ghee. Add cloves, cinnamon, crushed cardamon pods, maratti mokku, bay leaves, star anise and green chilies. Fry them till chilies crack and try to turn opaque.

Now add onion to this and fry them really well, until its pungent smell is all gone. Followed by ginger and garlic paste, fry them till raw odor leaves the pan. Then add tomatoes, mint and coriander leaves. Fry them till the leaves wilt.

Add salt and chili powders. Followed by well-cleaned crab(I mean with shell still intact) The carotene and calcium present the crab shell, imparts a special flavor to this dish, one wouldn't want to miss it:). Add about 4 cups of water and bring this to boil. Now, add rice...cover and cook till tender and nice.

Feast like a wild man:)

Nandu Dhaniya Soup:

Crab Chettinad Soup. Crab Corinader Soup.

Ingredients:

To be Toasted Each Seperately and Powdered Together:

Coriander seeds 1 fistful
Whole peppercorns 2 spoons
Cumin seeds 2 spoons

Coarsely Wet-Grind These:

Chilies 1-2
Onion 1 small bulb
Ginger 1-2" piece
Garlic 2-3 beads
Tomato 1
Curry leaves few
Coriander leaves few

To chop:

Crab (with shells)
Scalion 1
Tomato 1
Cilantro leaves few
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch

Sesonning:

Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Peppercorns 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Wash and clean crab well. Just divide each crab only once.

In a wide pot/dutch oven, heat oil. Add pepper, cumin and curry leaves. Wait till it pops up.

Add crab, salt and pinch of turmeric to it. Saute for few minutes.

Add 4-6 mugs of water...bring it to boil. Add powdered spices too. Let this boil really well over low-medium heat! Maybe till all the spices steep into the crab shells cum soup liquid.

Remove from heat and serve immediately as a starter. Serves best as a in between- meals.

I prefer this soup during severe cold and cough! Crab has healing property for cold! It worked several times for me! So give a shot!

Nandu Kuzhambu:

Ingredients:

King Crab - legs 1/4 kilo(with shell)
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Oil few spoons.

To be Fried in Little Oil n Made into Paste:

Onion 1
Ginger 2"
Garlic 3 beads
Toamtoes 2-3
Oil few spoons.

To be Toasted Each Seperately n Powdered Togather:

Coriander 2 spoon
Pepper 1 spoon
Coconut dry 2 spoons

To Garnish:

Cilantro leaves few.

Method:

In a large wok, heat oil. Add wet-ground paste and fry real good. Maybe till its raw smell leaves the pan.

Now add salt, turmeric and chili powder. Fry real good.

Followed by crab legs. Add a cup of water, cover and cook over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes.

When crab is almost done, add the powdered spices and bring this to boil. Let this sit over sim heat for another 10 minutes.

When the gravy thickens and oil shows up on top, remove from heat.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve steaming hot with plain rice.

Crab Soup:

Crab the Power source for Calcium, A great source of vitamin B12 and immunity-boosting zinc! I use something tangy to leach away that calcium into my broth! Tamarind, lemon and tomatoes works well! I always insist upon 'shell crabs' over shell-less! Yeah for calcium and that great flavor! If you got to eat crab.....it should be little hard to fight with your cutting player and hammer!! I love it!!!

Ingredients:

Crab 1 large(king crabs)
MSG 1 pinch
Soya sauce light 4-6 spoons
Garlic soy sauce 1 spoon
Pepper 5-7 turns from your mill
Green Onions 4 - chopped.

For Thin Vegetable Broth:

Vegetable oil 1 spoon
Corn flour 1 spoon
Salt
Onion 1 small sliced
Ginger 2" grated
Garlic 2 minced
Chili 1 chopped
Whole pepper 1/4 spoon.

Method:

In a deep pot, heat oil. Add corn flour. Fry for 1 whole minute.

Then add chopped chili, garlic, ginger and onions to it. Add 4-6 cups of water. Bring this to boiling point.

Add peppercorns too. When the water is reduced half the way, decant it using a filter/colander.

In a seperate vessel....add the above vegetable broth. Add washed & cleaned crab to it.

Add light & heavy soy sauce as well. Add MSG and pepper powder. Cover and cook till the crab meat is tender. (10-12 minutes will do.)

Garnish with green onions. Enjoy.

Told to remove one's cold, flu and head ache!

Nandu Rasam:

Crab Rasam. Kekra-Imili Ki Shorba.

Crab the Power source for Calcium, A great source of vitamin B12 and immunity-boosting zinc! I use something tangy to leach away that calcium into my broth! Tamarind, lemon and tomatoes works well! I always insist upon 'shell crabs' over shell-less! Yeah for calcium and that great flavor! If you got to eat crab.....it should be little hard to fight with your cutting player and hammer!! I love it!!!

Ingredients:

Crab with Shells(preferably)
Tamarind (gooseberry size)
Garlic 1 whole head - peeled and semi crushed
Dry red chilies 6-8 broken
Curry leaves few
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Whole peppercorns 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Freshly ground - pepper powder 1 spoon
Freshly ground cumin powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Soak tamarind pulp in warm water for 20 minutes. Then using your hands...mash it and extract thick milk. Add 2-4 cups of water to this and set aside.

In a deep iron wok, heat few spoons of oil. Add garlic and dry red chilies.

Add washed and cleaned crab, saute for few minutes.

Then add tamarind water. Add salt, turmeric and rasam powder(pepper+cumin powders) to it. Bring this to boil.

Meanwhile....heat a small iron pan. Add oil and wait till its smoky hot. Now add mustard, cumin, whole pepper, asafoetida and curry leaves. Let it pop and splutter well.

Now run this seasoning over the rasam.

Serve steaming hot along with plain steam cooked rice. Good choice during rainy days.

Nandu Puttu:(Tamizhar Style)

Scrambled Crab. Crab Puttu. Kekda/Kekra Scrambled Puttu.

Ingrdients:

Crab Meat 250 grams(shell-less crab meat alone)
Onion 4 large- finely chopped
Garlic 1 large head- finely chopped
Green chilies 6 thinly sliced
White/black pepper powder 1-2 spoons
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves 1 cup
Chana dal 1 fistfull
Urad dal 1 fistfull
Mustard seeds 1-2 spoons
Oil 1-2 cups.

Method:

In a large non-stick wok, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. Let them po and splutter.

Followed by....add chana and urad dal. Fry them till it turns to redish color.

Further add green chilies and curry leaves. Fry them for 2 minutes.

Now add garlic and fry them till its raw odor leaves. Then followed by onions. Saute them till it turns translusent.

Add salt, turmeric and pepper to this. Once it blends well....add scrambled crab meat. Cover and cook over medium heat. Mabe until its done with its own moisture.

When crab is done. Ten...remove the lid and fry them over high heat for 2-5 mnutes.

Serve steamingly hot ....as a side dish for regular south indian meals. It tasates better with sambar rice.

Fried Crab:

Crab Fry. Varutha Nandu.

Ingredients:

Crab - medium size 4(with shell, trunk portions, discard legs)
Grated garlic 2 spoons
Grated ginger 2 spoons
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
lemon juice few spoons
Oil for frying.

Method:

Wash and clean crabs. Retain the shells intact. Discard the legs and appendages. Maybe...one can use the legs for making soups.

In a bowl, add salt, turmeric, chili powder, ginger-garlic and lemon juice. Mix them thoroughly into thick paste.

Now coat this paste evenly over crab. Marinade it for 2 whole hours.

Heat oil in a wok. Maintain over medium heat.

Now fry 1 or 2 crab at a time. First fry over medium heat. Then fry over high heat for few minutes....till crisp and reddish color.

Serve as a side dish for Rasam or Sambar rice.

Nandhu Chettinad Kuzhambu / Crab Chettinad / Nandu Curry

Crab Chettinad:(Chettinad Style)

Crab Masala. Crab Curry. Crab in Hot and Spicy Gravy. Nandu Masala. Kekra Masala.

This is my Dad's favorite recipe. He used to take me to all the chettinad restaurants in Chennai. I enjoyed encountering the hot chettinad food for the first time. Though most of them think its hot and spicy....I bet, one will forget after tasting it. The spices used here in the restaurants are super strong, but its sort of right blend. However this is not authentic chettinad tho'...the original chettinad food is devoid of spicy food / non-veg!!! The one which we enjoy in Chennai restaurnats are all 'fusion food' between chettinad and Mughal:) Is'nt that exciting. One should probably try this cuisine style sometime in their life. I actually had hard time in guessing the ingredients....you know. Few are really hard for me to predict. My Dad helped me out in cooking this recipe for the first time.

Ingredients:

Crab 1/2 kg cleaned and washed....if needed made into halves
Sesame oil 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric 1/2 spoon

To be fried with little oil and made into paste:

Sesame oil 4-5 spoons
Onion 1 chopped
Garlic 5-6 cloves
Ginger 3-4 inches chopped
Tomato

To be roasted each separately and powdered:

Whole black peppercorns 1-2 spoon
Dry red chillies 3-4
Cinnamon sticks 2-3
Cloves 3
Cumin seeds 1-2 spoons
Poppy seeds/cas cas 1-2 spoons
Dhaniya/coriander seeds 1 cup
Fresh coconut 4" size - chopped and slightly toasted- then made into paste.


For garnishing:

Fry crisply curry leaves in hot oil and set them aside. Maybe a large bowl full.

Method:

1. In a wide pan add oil and crab. Add salt plus turmeric powder and enough water to cook the crab. Maintain the flame in medium to high flame during this process. Cover the pan while cooking.

2. Once the crab is 3/4 cooked and at the same time all water gets evaporated......add the paste of onions, garlic, ginger and tomato now.

3. Cook them uncovered. Constantly keep stirring.....to make sure of the paste gets well absorbed to the crab at all its sides.

4. Once the raw smell of the paste is gone......add the powders of cinnamon, cloves, cumins, poppy seeds, dhaniya, pepper, dry chili and dry coconut.

5. Now stir fry them....till the raw smell of the powder is gone and oil shows up on top.

6. Garnish them with crisply fried curry leaves.

Serve with along with plain rice, idly, dosa or aapam.