Nandu Vattichathu

Crab dry-roast — large backwater crabs (nandu) cleaned and cracked to expose the flesh, sautéed in coconut oil with fried shallots, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli, dried red chilli, curry leaves, and a spice paste of coriander, black pepper, and fennel, then covered and cooked in the steam of their own moisture until the crabs are fully cooked and the thick spice masala coats every surface. 'Vattichathu' means cooked dry by reduction: no water added, no coconut milk, the crab's natural juices evaporate as the masala thickens and darkens. The hard shell splits during cooking and the spiced fat penetrates the sweet crab meat inside. Eaten by cracking the shells at the table and sucking the masala-coated meat from within; an entirely hands-on preparation. Specific to the coastal belt between Kollam and Alappuzha.