Pepper Crab Masala (Dry)

PEPPER CRAB
This is Pepper crab made usually as a side dish. One can make it as a gravy and could be eaten with Indian breads or rice. I seriously have no clue about cleaning the crabs. Just that I get them from the fish markets and they clean and give. I just have to wash them finely. The main purpose of washing crab with lime water is to make sure that the raw smell goes off. Usually all sea foods emit a kind of smell. Though people may love eating them cooked, would not like to see them giving a foul smell. So washing with lime water takes away all the raw smell but the taste remains the same.My favourite way of eating Crab is just by making a thick pepper masala with it. I love to make a sambar which is not to spicy. Serve this with sambar and rice. Simple isntit??

Ingredients:
crab - 1/2 kg
onions - 2
tomatoes - 4
red chillie powder - 2 tsp
black pepper powder - 5 tsp
dhania powder - 1 tsp
salt to taste
water - 1/2 cup
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
corriander leaves - 2 - 3 tbsp
cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves - 2 each
oil for frying

Method:
- clean the crab well
- then wash it with lime water and keep it aside
- chop the onions finely
- chop 2 tomatoes finely
- grind 2 tomatoes into a fine paste
- in a pan add oil
- fry all the spices and add the onions
- saute the onions until they are golden brown
- then add the chopped tomatoes and fry
- to this add salt, red chilli powder, dania powder, turmeric and mix well
- fry till they form a thick paste
- to this add the ground tomato paste, water and the pepper powder
- mix well
- add the crabs and close the pan with a lid
- wait until the moisture is fully evaporated and the masala sticks to the crab.
- serve.

Thanks goes to:
Revathy's mom. Revathy is my friend from Pondicherry. She stays in Thavalai Kuppam and I had been there once while her mom served me with this... Awesome!!!