Name: Kerala Boatman's Crab Curry
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds jumbo lump crab meat; 1 medium onion; 3 large garlic cloves; a 1-inch piece fresh gingerroot; 2 dried hot red chiles such as cayennes or chiles de árbol; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon brown or black mustard seeds; 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric; 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs; 1 1/2 cupsLaxmi's fresh coconut milk or canned unsweetened coconut milk; 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, or to taste; Accompaniment: cooked white or brown basmati rice; Garnish: sliced scallion greens

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Kerala Boatman's Crab CurryGourmet Studios

A narrow strip of land at the southwestern tip of India, the state of Kerala is interlaced with a network of lagoons, canals, lakes, and rivers. Peddlers sell fish from these waters and other food by boat along the canals.

This curry is styled after the ones these boatmen cook for themselves. It incorporates many ingredients of the Kerala kitchen: black peppercorns, fiery red chiles, mustard seeds, and the ubiquitous coconut. In India they toss about 20 fresh curry leaves into the kettle along with the onion, garlic, gingerroot, chiles, and peppercorns. These aromatic leaves can be difficult to find in the U.S., but if you locate some, by all means use them.

Recipe notes

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