Lagoon crabs cooked in the shell in a fiery sauce of roasted Jaffna curry powder, tamarind and coconut milk, with moringa leaves.
What makes it jaffna crab curry
Whole crabs, cleaned and broken up, cooked in the shell.
Jaffna curry powder, roasted and hot.
Tamarind and coconut milk.
Moringa leaves stirred in at the end.
Where it comes from
The lagoons around the Jaffna peninsula are famous for their crabs, and this is the north's great seafood dish. It's made with Jaffna curry powder, roasted red and very hot, and finished with moringa leaves, which bring a faint bitterness and body.
It's messy, eaten with the hands, and best with plenty of rice to soak up the sauce.