Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Goan Cuisine : Crab Xec Xec

Seafood is a delicacy in Goa which is most desired by Goans. So naturally there are several preparations of seafood and the Goan cuisine is full of lip smacking delicious dishes which Goans prepare throughout the year.

However for the "crab xec xec", the rock crabs which are found in Goa on the banks of the rivers or on the riversides are the best compared to the sea crabs which tend to be softer than the rock crabs.However the recipe as under is suitable to both sea and rock crabs which have a thick shell and are tough to crack.

The following is a sample recipe to prepare the rock crab xec xec.

Keep the following ingredients ready:
8 - 10 medium sized rock crabs ( or sea crabs)
8 tbsp grated coconutcrab xec xec
6 kashmiri red chillies
2 tbsp coriander seeds
10 peppercorns
4 cloves
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 onions finely chopped
½ tsp ginger garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp tamarind juice
2 green chillies (chopped)

Goan method of preparing crab xec xec:
Clean the crabs well. If they are rock crabs do ensure that all the dirt is cleaned. An old toothbrush is a good tool to clean crabs.

Next pour the coconut in the pan and roast it lightly and keep it in a separate container.

Now roast the chillies and the spices in the pan separately

Now pour the entire roasted ingredients in a mixer to grind them or better use a stone grinder to grind them to a fine paste with a little water.

Heat the oil, brown the onion in the container , stir the ginger-garlic paste and turmeric powder. Fry for a few seconds, add the crabs, mix well and sprinkle tamarind juice. Add around half a cup of water, cover the pan and after around 10 minutes stir in the roasted spice paste, salt and green chillies. Cook the preparation until it is relatively thick.

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