As any fan of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain knows, food is more than raw ingredients. To understand a bowl of noodles or a perfectly formed dumpling, a foodie must understand the people who make it, the place where it is made and the deeply rooted history of both.
Halfway across the world, in the city-state of Singapore, students are embarking on the journey of a lifetime at the Culinary Institute of America鈥檚 first international location. Bachelor鈥檚 degree candidates studying toward an Asian cuisines concentration spend a semester at the institute鈥檚 Singapore location learning from world-renowned chefs, a vibrant culinary scene, and travels through neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
On a recent visit to Sri Lanka, students explored the local flavours of traditional curries. The country has a wealth of ingredients that were historically inaccessible in other parts of the world, resulting in flavourful combinations of spices, produce, and proteins that are uniquely Sri Lankan.
Inspired by the journey, the class prepared this recipe for Sri Lankan Crab Curry, a spiced mixture that is exploding with flavours and ingredients that you might not use every day. Alongside the familiar coconut milk, garlic and lime juice, you鈥檒l find sour tamarind paste, earthy pandan leaves and nutty fenugreek seeds.
While you may not find some of these ingredients in your everyday grocery store, they should be easily found at a well-stocked Asian market or through online retailers. If not, ask around the market for suggestions to replace the hard-to-find ingredients. The beauty of a curry is that, while every ingredient plays a role, there is enough flavour to go around, so minor omissions or substitutions won鈥檛 ruin the recipe.
We鈥檙e including a recipe for curry powder. While you can buy a pre-made blend, making your own gives you the freedom to adjust the mixture to your preferences. If you don鈥檛 like the flavour of fennel, use a little bit less, because it鈥檚 your curry. Use any leftovers to coat roasted vegetables, to punch up a chicken soup, or to stir into hummus for a flavourful sandwich spread.
However you use these ingredients, and no matter where you buy them, allow this recipe to transport you somewhere new, and maybe you鈥檒l be inspired to go off and taste the world yourself.
Sri Lankan Crab Curry
Servings: Eight
Start to finish: 1 hour (Active time: 15 minutes)
3 Tbsp Curry Powder (recipe below)
Two 2 lb crabs, top shell, gills, and guts removed (see note)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 Tbsp Indian chili powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup sliced shallots
1/4 cup sliced garlic
2 sprigs curry leaves (about 15 fresh leaves)
1 long green chili, sliced
2 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup tamarind paste, soaked then strained
4 fresh pandan leaves
1 cup coconut cream
2 Tbsp lime juice, plus more as needed
Curry Powder
6 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp coriander seed
1 Tbsp cumin seed
1 Tbsp fennel seed
6 whole cloves
1 tsp fenugreek seed
1 tsp Indian chili powder
6 dried curry leaves
To prepare the curry powder, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the cardamom pods and toast, stirring occasionally, until the pods have darkened slightly and are fragrant, about one minute.
Transfer to a bowl. Add the cinnamon stick and toast until it is also slightly darkened and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, then repeat with the coriander, cumin, fennel, cloves, and fenugreek until all are toasted. Add the chili powder and curry leaves to the mixture and grind in a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder. Set aside.
Cut each crab into quarters. Crack the claws, but leave them attached. In a shallow dish, combine the crab, curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, and salt, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and curry leaves and cook until softened, about one minute. Add the green chili and crab and cook until aromatic, about three minutes.
Add the coconut milk, tamarind paste and pandan leaves, and stir to combine. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the crab is fully cooked, about 12 minutes. If the mixture seems too dry, add additional coconut milk or water 1/4 cup at a time.
Remove from the heat and add coconut cream and lime juice, and season with salt, to taste, before serving.
Chef鈥檚 Note: If you prefer, you can substitute 8 oz of lump crabmeat for the whole crabs. In that case, skip the marinating step and add the curry powder, turmeric, chili powder and salt with the green chili and lump crabmeat in Step 3, then continue as written.
This article was provided to the Associated Press by the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
