Recipe: Crab Varqui

— -- Create a little of the Taj Mahal Palace's culinary mystique in your own kitchen. Here's how to prepare Crab Varqui, a recipe provided by the hotel.

Serves: 4Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

For Peppered Crab:Crab meat, 250 gmOil, 1 tbsGarlic chopped, 1 tspGreen chile chopped, 1Curry leaf shredded, 8Peppercorns crushed, 10Fennel seed powder, 1/2 tspOnions chopped, 2 tbsTurmeric powder, a pinchMadras curry powder, 1 tspCoconut milk powder, 2 tbspSalt to tasteGaram masala powder, a pinch

For Prawns:Prawns with tail, 4 pcsRed chile powder, 1/2 tspRed chile paste, 1 tbspSalt to tasteGinger garlic paste, 1 tspMustard oil, 1 tspYogurt (hung), 2 tbsparam masala powder, a pinchLemon, 1Oil, 1 tbsp

For Presentation:Fresh red chiles, 12Fresh red chile flower, 4Coriander sprig, 4Chives, 8Chili oil, 1/4 cupBaked mille feuille, 15

Instructions:

For Crabs:Heat oil, add garlic, ginger, onions, green chiles. curry leaves and cook.

Add crabmeat, salt, fennel powder, turmeric powder, madras curry powder, coconut milk powder and garam masala powder. Add pepper powder.

For Prawns:Apply salt and lemon juice to prawns.

Marinate the prawns in a mixture of red chile powder, red chilly paste, salt, yogurt, mustard oil, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste.

Cook the prawns with tail standing as shown in the picture.

Present Varqui crab as shown in the photograph using all the ingredients for presentation.