Kankra'r Jhal - Crab in Mustard Sauce

Kankra'r Jhal

Those live crabs in the Asian supermarkets have been piquing my interest for a while. Yesterday, my defenses finally crumbled and I bravely selected six of the most active and had them cleaned in the store. Dinner last night was the most enjoyable meal for me but it would have been better if I could have shared it with someone else. The last time I had crab cooked the Bengali way was before I left India in 1977. 

Fish & Seafood Duo

Hubby cringes at the sight of crab, so I prepared Tilapia fillets for him in the same way as the crab. 

Ingredients

6 medium-sized crabs

2 Tbsp. garlic paste

salt to taste

4 Tbsp. black mustard seeds + 2 Tbsp. white poppy seeds

2 large onions, sliced

1 large tomato, diced

5 green chilies, slit
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. Kashmiri mirch or paprika

6 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. nigella or kalo jeera or kalonji seeds

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

Directions

1. Soak mustard and poppy seeds in salted water for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Add 1 green chili, blend to a smooth paste and set aside.
3. Separate legs from crab and cut each back in two.
4. Rub crab pieces with garlic paste and salt to taste and set aside.
5. Heat oil, sputter nigella seeds and remaining green chilies.
6. Add onions, stir-fry until translucent and add tomotoes.
7. Stir-fry onions and tomatoes until oil resurfaces.
8. Add crab pieces to pan along with turmeric and paprika, and stir well until crab is coated with oil.
9. Add 2 cups of simmering water or chicken broth and bring to a boil.
10. Lower heat to medium-low, add mustard-poppy seed paste and stir.
11. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, adjust salt to taste and remove from heat.
12. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice or chapatis.