TANDOORI / GRILLED CRABS

If I had to rank my favorite seafood, Crabs would top my list each and every time. Their deliciously delicious meat, sooo soft, tender and succulent, the way it just melts in your mouth giving away this sweetness from its meat... top of the world (^_^) 

I feel crabs awaken the child within us as it is so much fun to break the shell apart and dig into it, scraping out its tender meat and just sucking on its gravy.

This dish is a family favorite and whenever it is made everyone just digs into it and then there is complete silence on the table with only the noise of cracking shells heard around. :D And once it's all over there is a beaming satisfied smile on everyone's faces showing their gratitude towards our crustacean buddy for this heart warming meal :)

Crabs can be prepared in curry form, stir fried or tandoor / grilled and I love them all equally. However today I'll be sharing the tandoori crabs recipe with you all.
This sumptuous dish requires a few technicalities while cooking it but that is only to amplify the taste and make it easier for you to eat it as crabs can be very easily overcooked, and overcooked crabs don't taste as great as they are just dry. I have shared all the details required along with some photographs to make your cooking and eating experience easier.

This recipe requires very little ingredients, the only hard part about the dish is cleaning out the crabs and cracking its shell. Its like a spicy, tangy and tasty bomb which explodes with flavor in your mouth every time you take a bite into it.

So here you go, awaken that child within you and dig into a sumptuous meal  :D

INGREDIENTS

• 2 kg crabs (with outer shell)
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 tsp Tandoori Masala
• 1 tsp Red Chilly Powder paste (add 2 tsp if you want it spicy)
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp curd
• 2 tsp salt

STEPS

• Remove the outer shells and the lower flap of the crabs, wash the inner body under running water removing all the dirt and their lungs. Separate the pincers and the legs of the crabs from the body and wash.
• Now using a big knife, cut the inner meaty body of the crab into 2 halves.

• Now using a hammer slowly crack all the sharp edges off the crab's pincers and then lightly crack the outer shell of the pincer. Don't completely break the shell or the meat will break away. This process helps get all the marination into the crab meat through the shell and also makes it easier for us to break and eat them.
• Fill water upto 3/4th in a big vessel enough to fit all the crabs and bring the water to a boil.
• Once the water starts boiling add 1 tsp of salt, butter and the 1 tsp rosemary to it and mix well. 
• Now drop in all the crabs
• Cover and let the crabs boil for not more than 10 minutes. This boiling process is done to kill all the germs, clean the shells and the meat, remove the stench of the sea and to cook the meat halfway so that it doesn't get charred when cooking it in the tandoor as the meat tends to turn very dry otherwise.
• After 10 mins immediately turn off the heat and drain out all the water from the vessel.
• Now you can marinate the crabs in the same vessel or transfer to another.
• For marination add all of the ingredients (except the rosemary and butter) on top of the crabs and then using a big ladle or spoon mix it well. Once its mixed toss it around in the pan to coat all the crabs well in the marinade. Do not use your hands to mix the marinade as the crab has sharp pointed parts which might cut your hands.

  

• Now let this marinate overnight or atleast 8 to 10 hours in the fridge.
• For cooking, Pre-heat a tandoor to 200 degrees Celsius. 
• Now since I use an electric tandoor I can directly place the crab pieces on the tray.
• Slide the tray into the tandoor and let it cook for 10 minutes till the outside marination has dried.
• Now switch off the tandoor and let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes in the heat.
• Take out and serve hot with lemon wedges.