Crab Curry or Chimboricha Kalvan
Ingredients: ½ kg crabs, 1-inch cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 6 garlic cloves, 2 green chillies, ½ tsp haldi, ½ tsp salt, 100 ml coconut milk, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp besan, ½ tsp tamarind paste, 2 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped)
Directions: Boil the crab and discard the water. Clean and cut the crab and keep it aside. Grind together garlic, cumin seeds and cinnamon. Heat oil and add the ground paste, sauté for five minutes. Add a little water in case it dries up. Now put in the haldi, salt and then the crabs. Cover and cook for five minutes. Then add the coconut milk mixed with the besan. Balance with 1/2 tsp tamarind paste and stir well. Finish with chopped coriander and split green chillies.
Significance: Crabs have health benefits as they are low in calories, and have a good amount of protein, omega-3 fat and minerals like iron, zinc and magnesium. The recommendations are to have non-fried seafood (one of the options being crab) once or twice a week to protect against heart disease and stroke. Oily fish like Mackerel (bangda), Sardines (tarli) and Kingfish (surmai) have high amounts of omega-3 fat. Crab has about half the amount, which is still substantial. Crab also contains chromium, which is beneficial for insulin sensitivity. The recommendations are to limit cholesterol intake to 200 mg per day. 100 gm cooked crab provides 50 mg cholesterol. Therefore, crabs can be eaten as part of a balanced diet as they provide many beneficial nutrients and are low in saturated fat. Vegetarians can make this dish with paneer instead of crab.
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Dr Manisha Talim