Trinidadian Curry Crab and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 3 lbs whole blue land crab or crab bodies, cleaned and cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup Caribbean green seasoning (culantro, scallion, garlic, onion, thyme, blended)
• 3 tbsp Trinidadian curry powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 (13.5 oz) cans full-fat coconut milk
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 scotch bonnet or pimento pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cups water, plus more as needed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup water, for dumplings
• 2 scallions, sliced, for garnish

Before you cook

• Clean the crab pieces under cold water and pat dry
• Rub the crab all over with the green seasoning, 1 tablespoon of curry powder, and the turmeric
• Cover the seasoned crab and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight
• Stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl
• Pour the 3/4 cup water into the flour mixture and knead into a firm, smooth dough
• Divide the dumpling dough into 12 pieces and roll each into a small log

Steps

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat
2. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often
3. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of curry powder and cook for 1 minute until fragrant
4. Add the marinated crab pieces to the pot and stir to coat them in the curry base
5. Cook the crab for 5 minutes, turning the pieces so every side touches the hot curry paste
6. Pour in the 2 cups of water and the thyme sprigs
7. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer
8. Cover and simmer the crab for 20 minutes
9. Pour in both cans of coconut milk and stir gently to combine
10. Simmer uncovered for 20 more minutes, until the sauce thickens and turns a deep golden red
11. Taste the gravy and add salt as needed
12. Drop the rolled dumpling dough pieces into the simmering gravy one at a time
13. Cover the pot and cook the dumplings for 15 minutes, until they float and are firm to the touch
14. Remove the thyme sprigs and discard them
15. Ladle the crab, dumplings, and gravy into bowls and scatter the sliced scallions over the top