Bangladeshi-Style Fiery Crab Curry

Name: Bangladeshi-Style Fiery Crab Curry
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Bangladeshi, Indian
Ingredients: 5 whole Black Peppercorns; 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper; 1 whole Cinnamon Sticks; 2 whole Crab; 4 whole Diced Green Chiles; 2 whole Diced Tomatoes; 0.5 cup Fresh Cilantro; 1.5 tsp Garlic Paste; 1.5 tsp Ginger Paste; 2 whole Ground Cardamom; 2 tsp Ground Turmeric; 1 whole Lemon; 1 tbsp Mustard Oil; 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds; 3 cups Red Onion; 0.5 tsp Salt; 1.75 cups Sliced Potatoes; 1 tsp Sugar; 1 tbsp Water; 2 whole Whole Cloves

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 Bangladeshi 🇧🇩Indian 🇮🇳 High-Protein 💪Pescatarian 🐟

Bangladeshi-Style Fiery Crab Curry balances sweet, briny crab with a bold, aromatic sauce layered with mustard, warm spices, and green chiles. Tender potatoes and tomatoes simmer into a rich gravy, rounded by a hint of sugar and brightened with lemon and cilantro. Serve for a festive dinner when you want a punchy, peppery seafood centerpiece.

Prep25 mins
Cook30 mins
Serves4
DifficultyMedium

1

Rub the crabs with 1 teaspoon of the turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then let them marinate for 1 hour. Combine the mustard seed with the hot water in a small bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the seeds into a coarse paste.
2

Heat the oil in a wok or kadhai over medium heat. Add the crabs and stir-fry until they change color, about 4 minutes. Remove the crabs from the oil and set them aside.
3

Add the sliced onions to the wok and cook, stirring, over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the potatoes, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and peppercorns, and stir for thirty seconds.
4

Stir in the tomatoes, ginger paste, and garlic paste. Halve three of the chiles and add them to the wok. Cook and stir for another minute or two over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 teaspoon turmeric, the cayenne pepper, and the mustard paste, and stir to combine. Add the crabs back to the wok and pour in just enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and stir in the sugar and salt to taste.
5

Cover the wok, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Uncover, stir, and simmer until the gravy thickens, about 5 minutes more.
6

Squeeze the lemon wedge over the finished dish. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced green chile, and serve hot with rice.