South Indian crab cake and crab chutney

by Vineet Bhatia
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servings4
50 minutes

Ingredients

Crab cakes recipe

  • 120g of white crab meat
  • 100g of potatoes, unpeeled
  • 1 1/2 tbsp of black mustard seeds
  • 6 curry leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp green chillies, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp chaat masala
  • 2 eggs, lightly whisked
  • 4 tbsp of breadcrumbs, for coating
  • vegetable oil
  • salt

Crab chutney

  • 100g of white crab meat
  • 1/2 tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
  • 1/2 lime, juiced and zest grated
  • 4 tbsp of mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp green chillies, chopped
  • 1 tbsp of spring onions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp of black mustard seeds
  • 6 curry leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • salt

Method

1
To make the crab chutney, mix the crab meat with the spring onions, tomato, lime zest, ginger and green chilli
  • 100g of white crab meat
  • 1 tbsp of spring onions
  • 1/2 tomato
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp green chillies
2
Heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the seeds begin to crackle, take the pan off the heat and drizzle this oil on to the crab mixture
  • 1 tbsp of black mustard seeds
  • 6 curry leaves
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
3
Add the mayonnaise, a little salt and lime juice and mix well
  • 4 tbsp of mayonnaise
  • salt
  • 1/2 lime
4
For the crab cakes, boil the unpeeled potato in salted water until tender, then peel and grate
  • 100g of potatoes
  • salt
5
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter, add the curry leaves and chopped onion and sauté until the onion turns translucent
  • 1 1/2 tbsp of black mustard seeds
  • 6 curry leaves
  • 1/2 onion
  • vegetable oil
6
Mix the red chilli powder and turmeric with a little water (this prevents them burning). Add the chopped garlic, ginger and green chilli to the pan and sauté briefly, then add the red chilli powder and turmeric paste and sauté for a minute longer
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic
  • 1 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1 1/2 tsp green chillies
7
Add the crab meat and stir-fry until all the moisture has evaporated, then stir in the grated potato. Season with the chaat masala and some salt, then leave to cool
  • 120g of white crab meat
  • 1 tsp chaat masala
  • salt
8
Put the eggs in a bowl and the breadcrumbs in another. Shape the crab mixture into 4 round patties, dip them in the egg and then coat them in the crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tbsp of breadcrumbs
9
Heat the oil to 175°C in a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep saucepan (if you don’t have a thermometer, check it is hot enough by adding a cube of bread to the oil. It should start to bubble and fry, but not burn, the moment it has been added)
  • vegetable oil
10
Add the crab cakes and deep-fry for about 2 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper
11
To plate, serve one crab cake per person with a spoonful of the chutney on top