Indonesian Curried Crab

This is the kind of dish you eat with your hands and a stack of napkins, gloriously messy and worth every bit of it. Whole crab is cracked and simmered in a rich, fragrant coconut curry until the meat soaks up all that flavor.

The soul of the dish is the spice paste, a fresh-ground rempah of garlic, galangal, lemongrass, bird’s eye chili, candlenuts, turmeric, and a little shrimp paste. Fry it in oil first until fragrant; that step blooms the spices and is what gives the curry its depth.

Then coconut milk goes in, mellowing the heat into a luscious sauce, while tamarind adds the sour note that keeps all that richness in balance.

Cracking the shells isn’t just for eating, it lets the curry seep right into the crab meat. Simmer just until the crab is cooked through, and serve over rice to catch every drop of sauce.

Chef Tips

• Crack the crab shells well so the curry penetrates the meat and it’s easier to eat.
• Fry the spice paste until fragrant and the oil separates before adding coconut milk; that blooms the flavor.
• Candlenuts thicken and enrich the sauce; cashews are a fine substitute if you can’t find them.
• Don’t overcook the crab; simmer just until the meat is opaque and cooked through.

Variations

• Use prawns, mussels, or firm white fish in place of crab.
• Adjust the bird’s eye chilies up or down to set your heat level.
• Finish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.