Name: Tandoori Crab Cake Sliders
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 lb lump crabmeat; 1 egg; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard; 2 garlic cloves (grated); 1 teaspoon ginger (grated); 2 teaspoons Tandoori seasoning; lemon juice; 10 butter crackers (crushed to crumbs); 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped); 2 tablespoons ghee (melted, for brushing the crab cakes after baked); ½ cup mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon chipotle sauce in adobo; 1 chipotle pepper (finely chopped); 1 teaspoon tandoori seasoning; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped); 1 teaspoon honey; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon cooking oil; ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds; 10 curry leaves; pinch asafoetida (optional); 1 red onion (thinly sliced); slider buns

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with Chipotle Tandoori Mayo and Tadka Onions

If you love spicy seafood (specifically spicy crab), you are going to love these tandoori crab cake sliders! They are seasoned with ginger, garlic, cilantro and tandoori seasoning! And yet, that spice and seasoning does not mask the crab at all!

Spicy indian crab cake sliders with tadka onions and tandoori mayo

Tandoori Seasoned Crab Cakes!

For me, the sweetness of crab is best complimented with spice! So I love to add a ton of flavor to seafood dishes. Garlic and cilantro are a must!! But to give the crab cakes a true tandoori flavor you must also add fresh ginger and tandoori seasoning (or garam masala or curry powder if you can't find a good tandoori seasoning mix).

The mayonnaise, egg and cracker crumbs are needed to bind the cakes together. You can definitely use breadcrumbs in place of the cracker crumbs but I mean just think about the flavors! Buttery crushed crackers or dried not-buttery breadcrumbs? Convinced yet? And since these crab cakes are baked, there's no guilt over excessive oil, so you can definitely splurge a little on the cracker crumbs!

mini crab cakes on baking sheet with ghee

But of course there is the addition of ghee! So yea, I mean this step is definitely optional. You don't have to generously brush the tops of the crab cakes with melted ghee. Unless you're me, and feel it IS absolutely necessary! (It is optional, but I highly recommend it!!). The lemon juice at the end is required though...(no, that's optional too, but a squeeze of lemon over seafood is just SO good!)

Chipotle Tandoori Mayo

Every crab cake needs a remoulade sauce paired with it. Remoulade sauce is a mayonnaise based sauce that is kicked up a few notches with seasoning and spiced. With these tandoori crab cakes, I feel like its only fitting to have a tandoori spiced mayo or remoulade sauce that's creamy, spicy, smokey and a bit sweet. The addition of the chipotle peppers really give this sauce a smokey kick! Don't forget to add a touch of the adobo sauce from the chipotle peppers, as well as a finely diced adobo marinated chipotle pepper. Believe me, the heat and flavor is just want you need with these crab cakes!

Tadka Onions

To complete, these scrumptious tandoori crab cake sliders you just need a crunchy bite! I love these tadka onions (or seasoned fried onions) because they add that slight crunch, compliment the flavors of the tandoori seasoning but don't overpower in taste or texture! Its a just a simple fried onion in mustard seeds and curry leaves. The onions get a little sweet (perfect with the sweet crabmeat!) and a little crunchy. But best of all, it also loses that raw onion taste.

Now grab yourself some soft slider buns and make these tandoori crab sliders tonight!!

platter of spicy tandoori crab tikkis with tadka onions and slider buns

For more spicy seafood recipes check out Sun-Dried Tomato Crab Spaghetti with Chili Garlic Oil, Spicy Tomato Garlic Salmon, Shrimp Tikka Masala with Gobi Grits, Spicy Lemon Herb Tuna Wrap