Spicy Crabs With Coconut Dumplings.

Submitted by jenny butt

"This is a traditional dish from Tobago in the Caribbean--anyone who likes seafood will love this finger lickin' dish."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 35mins
• Ingredients: 25
• Yields: 4 main dish
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 3 limes, halved
• 4 large crabs

• spicey seasoning

• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded & finely chopped
• 2⁄3 cup olive oil

• sauce

• 6 tablespoons oil
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers, finely chopped and seeded
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 quart coconut milk
• 1 cup tomato ketchup
• salt and pepper, to taste

• Coconut Dumplings

• 8 ounces finely grated coconut
• 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt

directions

1. Kill and clean crabs--cut and rub lime juice over crabs to clean further; place in bowl.
2. Mix together spicy seasoning ingredients in bowl, then add to crabs.
3. Stir to coat all the crabs with seasoning.
4. Cover, and place in fridge for 2-3 hours.
5. To make a sauce, heat oil and butter together in large saucepan.
6. Fry onion, garlic and chile until onions are transparent.
7. Add curry powder and coconut milk.
8. Bring to boil, and then add seasoned crabs.
9. Lower heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until crabs have changed color and meat is tender.
10. Stir in ketchup; season with salt and pepper, then cook for further 10 minutes.

11. Coconut dumplings:

12. Mix grated coconut, flour and salt together.
13. Add enough coconut milk to make a firm dough.
14. Form into small balls about size of golf balls, and then flatten them with palms of hands.
15. Bring 1 quart water to the boil; add dumplings.
16. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until cooked.
17. Drain and serve hot with the crabs.

Reviews

[Candice S.]

boil dumplings until cooked .... how do you know when its cooked?

 

[taitt2]

Like the previous reviewer, I too was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. However, I disagree with the statement that the dumplings "should not have coconut in them". It's simply a matter of preference. I've had and made the dish with coconut dumplings and with plain dumplings. I do agree with the comment about the absence of chadon beni, which is also known as culantro. However, again, that is a matter of preference. That's really the beauty of cooking...amending recipes to fit your personal tastes and preferences. That being said, this recipe is a good one and worth a try.

 

[Chef Me Trini]

Hey... haven't tried the recipe but as a born Trini who's family goes back many generations on my sweet home island, this recipe is kind of wrong if you want to attempt the real deal. I don't mean to critisize really... its just that Curry crab and dumplings is my ALL TIME favorite food in the world and when I can't get it, I make it my self. For starters, the dumplings should not have coconut in them, we NEVER put ketchup in our curry (yuck!), and there is no mention of chadon bennie which is sad. I'm pretty sure this is a decent dish, but its not a Trinibagonians idea of real curry crab. I'll put some proper measurements to my family's recipe and post it.