Nandu / Crab Perattal, a Chettinad style recipe

Ingredients needed for Nandu / Crab Perattal
6 medium sized crabs
1 onion sliced / 2 cups of sliced onions
1/2 cup grated coconut - roasted
1 tsp Khus khus roasted
1 tsp aniseeds / saunf -roasted
 1 tsp roasted gram dal / pottu kadalai
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tbsp Fish curry powder
1 tsp Chilli powder ( for extra spiciness )
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Tamarind juice ½ cup from a small marble sized ball
Salt to taste
1/2 cup oil

For tempering
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 Cloves
2 Cardamoms
2 Star anise
Curry leaves

How to prepare Nandu / Crab Perattal, a chettinad style recipe?
Clean the crabs, remove the shell. Break and remove the legs and the claws.
Using the chopper bash the claws once.
Pound the small legs in a pounding stone . Add half a cup of water to the pounded legs and squeeze out the juice, then discard them.
Roast Khus khus, Grated coconut and the roasted gram dal / chutney dal. Grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.
Make a paste of fish curry powder, chilli powder,and tumeric powder. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai. Add in the spices and as they splutter, add in the sliced onion. Stir till the onions turn pale and add garlic and ginger paste, fry for a second more..
Add in the fish curry paste and the ground coconut paste.
Fry till the raw smell goes and then add the tamarind juice and juice from the crab legs.
Add salt to taste and the curry leaves. Let the masala get thicker.
Now add in the crabs and the bashed claws, mix well, so that the masala get coated nicely on the crab pieces.
Serve as soon as the crabs are cooked with hot and steaming rice.