CHETTINAD NANDU CURRY

Ingredients:
Crab - 1/2 kg
Cooking oil - 8 tbs
Mustard seeds + urad dal - 1 tbs
Fennel seeds / Saunf - 1/2 tbs
Curry leaves - few nos
Chopped onion - 3 nos
Chopped tomato - 3 nos
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chicken masala (or) red chilli powder (or) garam masala - 1/2 tbs (choose the masala powder
according to ur taste)
Salt
Chopped cilantro - 1 handful
To grind:
Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Pepper corns - 4 tbs
Fennel seeds - 1 tbs
Method:
Clean the crab as u like. Some like to have the whole crab, some people like to broke crab into small
portions. Wash well the crab in water 2 - 3 times.
Grind into fine paste the ingredients mentioned under to grind and keep aside. Grind into fine paste
the 3/4th portion of chopped onion + all the tomato seperately.
Heat oil in a pan and add urad dal + mustard seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves @ 30 sec interval.
Add remaining 1/4th portion of chopped onion and saute for a min.
Add onion-tomato paste and saute till the raw smell goes off. Now add the crab and mix well.
After 2 mins add pepper-coconut paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt + 3 cups of water.
Cook in medium flame till u get a tight gravy consistency.
Sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve hot.

NANDU KUZHAMBU
Ingredients:
Crab - 4
Onion - 1 (medium)
Tomato - 1 (big)
Garlic - 4 Cloves (finely chopped)
Tamarind - 1 big gooseberry size
Red chilli powder- 2 tsp
Corriander powder - 4 tsp
Turmeric powder - tsp
To Grind:
Coconut - cup
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Pepper - to 1 tsp
For Seasoning:
Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp
Fennel seeds - tsp
Fenugreek seeds - tsp
Curry leaves - 10 to 15 leaves
Directions:
Clean the crabs and keep aside. Grind coconut and fennel seeds with little water to fine paste. Keep
aside.
Soak the tamarind in a cup of water.
Take a wide kadai; add oil and season with fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and curry leaves.
Once it splutters, fry chopped onion and garlic followed by dry spice powders and fry for few
minutes; then add tomato and salt. If you feel it is sticking to the pan, add little water.
Add crabs when tomato starts melting and mix till masala coats well and the colour changes to slight
pink.
Add the tamarind extract and coconut paste with water (adjust according to the required
consistency).
Stir well; close the lid and allow to boil for 5 to 7 minutes.
Simmer for another 10 minutes till the oil floats and the mixture becomes thick in consistency.
Then add few curry leaves before removing from stove and close the lid to enhance the taste.
Allow it to rest for some time. Serve hot with steamed white rice, idli or dosa.

NANDU RASAM
Ingredients:
Nandu or Crab - 1/4 kg.
Tomato - 3(chopped).
Onion - 2(chopped).
Pepper powder - 1 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Peppercorns - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander seeds - 1tsp.
Garlic - 5 pods.
Fresh coriander leaves - 1 tbsp.
Water - 4 cups.
Salt - as needed.
Oil - 1 tsp.
Method:
=> dry roast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, 1tsp of peppercorns n powder it.
=> crush n grind 5 cloves of garlic in a pestle along with the above roasted powder.
=> saute well the onions, coriander leaves, tomato, crab in a tsp of oil.
=> add in 4 cups of water + grounded paste of garlic n spices.

=> boil it till done or close the lid for a whistle or 2.

=> garnish it with pepper powder n fresh coriander leaves.

NANDU RASAM
Ingredients:
Sea Crab- 250gms
Tomato- 1 finely chopped
Pepper & Jeera- 1 tsp each crushed
Tamarind water- 1 cup
Hing- 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tsp
Coriander leaves- a hand ful
Salt
Spice powders:
Ready made rasam powder/ Home made rasam powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Graham masal- 1/2 tsp
Chicken masal- 1/2 tsp(Optional)
For tempering:
Oil- 2 tsp
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 spring
Red chillie- 1
Method:
* Grab all the ingredients, Crush the pepper and jeera, Chop the Tomatoes and Coriander leaves
* Heat the kadai with oil, Add the tempering items.
* Add in the crushed pepper Jeera powder.
* Add the Ginger Garlic paste..
* Then Add the Tomatoes cook till they mushed up..
* Add all Spice powders and cook them till the raw smell goes..
* Add In the Hing..
* Extract the tamarind juice..
* Add the tamarind juice to the Masala mix
* Throw in the Coriander leaves... put them in medium flame for 3-4 mins
* Add the cleaned crab..
* Cook them till they done..
* Adding the Chicken Masala and Graham masala removes the crab smell and gives the soupy
flavor..

Crab Rasam... done...

Chettinad Nandu Masala (Chettinad Crab Masala )

Ingredients
Crab-1 Kg ( 6 to 7) Remember crabs should be cooked immediately after cleaning since all the
essence in the crab will ooze out as time goes by
Big onion-2
Tomatoes-2
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Coriander powder-1 table spoon
Red chili powder -1 table spoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon

To grind
Cocunut-3 table spoons
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

Kas Kas- 1 teaspoon or (cashews-5)

To season
Cinamon-3 small pieces
Clove-2
Cardamom-3
Curry leaf-little
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

Procedure
After getting the crabs cleaned add teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and teaspoon
turmeric powder to the crab mix well and keep aside till you get the other things ready. You can
break the crabs to two halves if they are quiet big. This will help the masala to go inside the crab.
Chop the onion and tomatoes nicely. If ready made ginger garlic paste is not there, make a paste
out of 7 pods of garlic and inch piece of ginger and two green chilies.
Grind the coconut to a smooth paste and keep aside
Keep the kadai in the stove. In two tablespoons of oil season the masal with the the items given in
To season .Now add the onions and stir for 2 minutes. Add the ginger garlic paste. Stir for 1 more
minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, saut nicely with a ladle that you smash the tomatoes. Saut
for 3 minutes. Now add the chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Add teaspoon
of salt also. Mix everything well. Now add 1 cup of water. Close the kadai with a lid and keep the
flame in low and cook for 6 minutes. Now open the kadai and add the crabs .Mix well. The crabs
will leave water. If you find it very dry, add half cup of water. Close the kadai and cook for 6 more
minutes in medium flame. The crabs would have get cooked now. Open the lid and with a spatula
mix everything well with the stove on. Move all the crabs to one side of the kadai in such a way
that the masal alone is on the other side. Now add the grinded coconut into the masal .Mix the
masal and the grinded coconut well. Check for the salt and hotness. If required add to the masal
and now mix the masal over the crabs well and continue stirring for 2 to 3 minutes so that the
coconut in the masal also gets cooked. The masal will be semi solid. If you want it as a curry for
Rice or paratha, add a cup of water and cook for 2 minutes. Finally garnish with chopped coriander
leaves