Indian Crab Curry

Gather the ingredients.

Remove the crab legs and set them aside. Remove the claws from the legs so that each leg is divided into two parts.

Using a cleaver, cut the crab bodies into halves or quarters. Set aside.

In a small bowl, soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of hot water for 10 minutes.

Mash the tamarind with your fingers to mix it well into the water.

Strain the tamarind through a sieve to extract all of the pulp. Set the purée aside.

In a food processor, add the onion, tomato, dried red chilies, garlic and ginger pastes, coconut, all of the spices, and tamarind pureé.

Grind the mixture well to make a smooth paste (also called masala).

Set a deep, heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the cooking oil and heat the oil.

Add the green chilies and the masala paste to the oil and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

Add 3 cups of hot water—use more or less depending on how much gravy you'd like—and bring the gravy to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Gently add the pieces of crab to the gravy and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat.

Serve immediately with plain boiled rice or ​jeera rice. Enjoy.