Crab Pepper Butter Fry

Ingredients

• 500 g crab, cleaned (நண்டு)
• 1 onion, finely chopped (வெங்காயம்)
• 1 tomato, finely chopped (தக்காளி)
• 2 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed (மிளகு)
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed (சோம்பு)
• 2 dried red chillies (மிளகாய் வற்றல்)
• 1-inch piece ginger, finely chopped (இஞ்சி)
• 10 cloves garlic, finely chopped (பூண்டு)
• a little spring onion greens (வெங்காயத்தாள்)
• 1 tbsp each red chilli powder, turmeric powder (மிளகாய் தூள், மஞ்சள் தூள்)
• 2 tbsp butter (வெண்ணை)
• to taste rock salt (இந்துப்பு)

Method

1. Clean the crab and cook it in a little salted water with the chilli and turmeric powders; keep any leftover cooking liquid.
2. Melt butter in a kadai and fry the dried chillies, ginger, garlic, crushed pepper and fennel in turn.
3. Add the onion and tomato with salt and saute until soft.
4. Add the cooked crab (plus its liquid if any) and toss until well coated and dry.
5. Scatter spring onion greens and serve.

Adapted from பேலியோ ஆரோக்கிய சமையல் (Paleo Arokkiya Samaiyal) by Rtn Kannan Azhagirisamy, page 85. Method rewritten in our own words; ingredient quantities follow the book, with gram weights estimated for the nutrition figures. The book thanks the Arokkiya Unavugal (Healthy Foods) Facebook group and tamilpaleorecipes.com.