Method

1. To make the curry, heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes until slightly softened. Meanwhile, place the galangal, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, coriander, chillies, curry leaves, and kaffir lime leaves into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add 5 tablespoons of the curry paste to the pan with the onions and fry for a further 6 minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add all of the dry spices and cook for 8 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cream and then simmer, stirring occasionally, covered for 40 minutes.

2. To make the roti, mix the flour, milk and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl to form a bread dough. Knead for about 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then rest for 15 minutes. Portion and roll into desired shape. Add enough oil to a large, non-stick frying pan to come up about 1-2cm up the sides of the pan. Heat over medium heat until hot. Fry the bread until cooked and golden, turning when necessary. Drain on paper towel.

3. Pour oil into a saucepan or wok until it is one-third full and heat oil until 180°C. Dry crabs on paper towel. Combine the ground turmeric, ground onion, ground garlic, cornflour, sea salt and white pepper in a wide shallow bowl. Coat the crab in the spice mixture, shaking off any excess. Deep fry crabs for 3-5 minutes until crispy and cooked through.

4. Serve crabs with roti, curry, fresh lemon cheeks and coriander leaves.

Serves 4-6