Spiced crabcakes with tamarind mayonnaise
The peppery tamarind mayonnaise complements the crabcakes wonderfully and a lightly dressed salad helps to make it a lovely lunch.
Ingredients
For the crabcakes
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ΒΌ-Β½ tsp red chilli powder
- salt, to taste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 25g/1oz fresh coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
- 400g/14oz prepared crab meat
- 1 large free-range egg
- 2Β½ tbsp mayonnaise
- 9-10 pieces of thick bread, made into crumbs in a food processor
For the tamarind mayonnaise
- 80g/3oz mayonnaise
- 50ml/2fl oz milk
- salt, to taste
- ΒΌ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste, or to taste
- handful fresh coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
- lightly dressed salad leaves, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
Heat half the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the onion for about four minutes, or until soft. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for another 40 seconds. Stir in the coriander, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala and cook for another 20 seconds then take off the heat. Place into a large bowl.
Add the lemon juice, fresh coriander, crab, egg and mayonnaise to the onion mixture in the bowl. Stir well and add the breadcrumbs. Divide into eight equal portions and form each into a circular shape.
Heat one tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan and cook the crabcakes in batches over a low moderate heat for about two minutes on each side, or until golden brown adding more oil as needed.
Place the cooked crabcakes on a baking tray and place them into the oven to stay warm while you cook the others.
For the tamarind mayonnaise, place all the tamarind mayonnaise ingredients into a bowl and whisk together. Season to taste.
To serve, take the warm crabcakes out of the oven, put them on a plate and serve with a spoonful of the tamarind mayonnaise. Place the fresh lightly dressed salad leaves on the side.
