CRAYFISH CURRY
- 6 – 8 whole crayfish
- 5 large onions, chopped very fine
- 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated on fine side of grater
- 3 ½ tablespoons of Masala (I only use Packo Masala)
- 1 tablespoon of turmeric
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 3 cardamom pods
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- salt to taste
Clean crayfish by pulling tail from the body, cut tail open on soft side with a sharp knife and pull out the long vain containing the grit.
Now cut all the tails in half. The top body with all the claws is where all the flavor lies. Cut the top body in half. The deep orange soft gooey matter inside the top body are the gold, loads of flavor, do not throw it away – and that is the trick to get massive flavour. Crayfish cleaned and prep in bowl, cover and place in fridge.
In a very large pot, heat oil, add all the onions and fry on medium heat till golden brown, add one cup of boiling water, simmer till water has dissolved.
Repeat this process of adding boiling water and cooking it down with the onions three times, now add all your spices, garlic and salt.
Add 1/2 a cup of hot water and braise for about five minutes. Add all the crayfish, stir the pot, add 3 cups of hot water and cook on medium to high heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Bring heat down to medium and simmer for a further ten minutes.
Serve with rice or buttered soft rolls.
Note:
As you can see there are not many spices and ingredients in this dish, the crayfish is the star and adding any more spices would take away from the flavors of this delicious seafood.
Recipe: Fatima Sydow
Photo: Maryke Smit Robberts
