This is one of Goa’s most iconic seafood curries. A thick, spiced coconut gravy that clings lovingly to fresh crab meat.
In a pan, add the freshly grated coconut and dry roast it until it turns light golden. Once that is ready set aside to cool.
Similarly, dry roast the Kashmiri chillies, cloves, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns until aromatic. Leave aside to cool.
Once cooled, add all the ingredients which have been dry roasted to the grinder with some water. Grind to a smooth, thick paste. Add more water to adjust consistency.
Add the finely chopped onions with oil to a pot. Sauté until soft and golden brown.
Next, add ginger garlic paste and let it cook until the rawness disappears.
To this, add turmeric powder, and sauté well for a few more minutes.
Add the cleaned crab pieces, season with salt, and stir well into the onion mixture.
Add the ground masala and give it a good mix. Add 1 to 1½ cups of water for a thick gravy. Squeeze out the soaked tamarind and add that water to the curry.
Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the crabs turn bright orange and are cooked through. The water should be adjusted as per the preferred consistency.
Add salt to taste and two fresh green chillies, slit in the middle. And let it boil for another few minutes.
Once the curry thickens, serve hot with steamed Goan rice, sannas (fluffy Goan rice cakes), or crusty pão (Goan bread) or maybe even a poie/poee.
We enjoyed it with some Goan-style prawn chilli fry, parboiled rice, and simple local green leafy vegetables cooked with some dal.
Fresh Crabs are always the best choice: Live or fresh crabs give the sweetest meat and flavour. Choose those over frozen crabs. The crabs with the little yellow or sometimes orange stuff, or hepatopancreas or roe inside, called larc (crab butter/crab mustard) in Konkani are even more flavourful.
Adjust the spice: Kashmiri chillies give colour and mild heat, but you can always add a few spicier chillies if you like it hot.
Gravy thickness – As per Moira mama's instructions, the Xec Xec gravy is traditionally thick, but you can add water according to the thickness level you prefer. However, she suggests not diluting it too much.
Cook this gravy in a clay pot, preferably.
You can grind the masala into a smooth, thick paste. Fry for 5-7 minutes with the onion mixture, stirring constantly until the oil begins to separate. Add a splash of water if needed to prevent sticking.
You can garnish this curry with fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped.
Pair this Crab Xec Xec with Goan parboiled rice and a side of some homemade local leafy vegetable and a nice prawn chilli fry, and maybe a chilled glass of coconut water or feni for the ultimate coastal meal.
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