Recipe: Uncle Casho's Crab Curry

Celebrity chef Maria Goretti's uncle Cashmiro Anthony Fernandes, 77, shares his special Chettinand-Inspired Crab Curry.

"Uncle Casho is my dad's brother," she says. "An East Indian from Bombay, he has been cooking since the time I remember him. He cooks nearly every day and also does the chopping himself."

"Uncle Casho lives in Khar (north west Mumbai) and has two kids. He lost his wife Jeanette, who was also an amazing cook and baker. He lives with his son Calvin and his daughter-in-law Pooja and grandson Harvey, who he completely dotes on," says Maria.

"His daughter Penny Ann, who lives in Melbourne, is also an amazing cook and grows her own fruits and vegetables."

Maria feels her uncle's East-Indian crab curry is outstanding. Recently Uncle Casho cooked his signature curry for Maria at her home in Saligaon, Goa, and she uploaded the video on Instagram. Please do have a look at the recipe and the video below.

Uncle Casho's Crab Curry

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 10-15 crabs, washed and cleaned
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp rai or mustard seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• Handful kadi pattas or curry leaves
• Water
• Salt to taste, about 2 tsp
• Handful chopped green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves, chopped

For the paste

• 3 lavang or cloves
• 1 tsp saunf or fennel seeds
• 1 tsp kalimirch or black peppercorns
• 3-4 Kashmiri red chillies
• 1 inch-piece dalcheeni or cinnamon 
• 1 tsp dhania or coriander seeds
• 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• 100 gm desiccated coconut
• Lime-sized ball imli or tamarind

Method

• In a frying pan or kadhai, roast all the ingredients for the paste (except the tamarind), separately on low heat.
  Cool and transfer into a blender.
  Add the tamarind and grind to a paste with very little water.
  Keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or kadhai over medium heat and add the rai.
  Allow the rai to crackle for a minute or so.
  Then fry the onions, tomatoes, chopped ginger-garlic, curry leaves.
  Add the roasted ground paste and cook it till the oil separates.
  Add the washed crabs.
  Add a little water and let the crabs cook.
  Add salt and garnish with the green coriander.

WATCH: Uncle Casho shows Maria Goretti how to make his special crab curry.&