Kakrar jhaal (Bengali crab curry)

Kakrar jhal (Bengali crab curry) -

A spicy and yummy Bengali Crab curry recipe whose taste will surely gonna take your breath away.

Ingredients:

Fresh crabs: 2
Bay leaves: 2
Whole cinnamon: 1 (one-inch stick)
Whole cloves: 4
Whole peppercorns: 6
Whole green cardamoms: 3
Whole cumin seeds: ½ tsp
Onions (finely julienned): ½
Onion paste: 2 tbsp
Garlic paste: 1 tsp
Ginger paste: 1 tsp
Tomatoes (finely chopped): 1 cup
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Whole chillies (slit): 4
Salt
Oil
Water

Method:

Wash the crabs thoroughly under running water. Plunge them into boiling salt-water. Boil for 5 min. Remove the crabs and reserve the soup.
In a wok, add oil and let it reach the smoking point. Now add the whole spices. Wait till the cumin seeds turn brown.
Add the whole onions and garlic and sauté, till the onions become brown and crisp. Add the onion paste now and continue to sauté for 5 min. Add the ginger paste, turmeric powder and salt. Add the chillies. After 2 min, add tomatoes. Stir and cover, stirring occasionally, till the tomatoes become mushy.
Add the crabs and sauté for 7 more min, until the mixture coats the crabs well.
Add some crab soup (about 1 cup) and check the seasoning. Bring this to a boil and then simmer for 7 min. Serve with steamed rice.