I am a crab lover just like my mom. Today we are making another version of crab curry. It is a lighter version of Goan Crab curry with light spices. This Crab Curry is not heavy and the coconut flavor in the curry makes you feel in heaven. My mouth is yet watering just talking about it. This Crab Curry is delicious and will take you to some other world 
…. Eat this Crab Curry with bread, pav or steamed rice. I love to eat crab curry with rice.
In India we don’t get crabs in kilos in the market. We buy live crabs in bunches or vata (portion). I am happy God has blessed us with so many things to eat. Although I avoid eating crabs in summer as it develops lot of heat in your body. But once in a month is fine to eat crabs that too made with love from my mom!
There are many ways of making crabs. You could make crabs in as many variations and styles you wanna make. In Kerala Crabs are made in different spices. In Goa again crabs are made with different styles. Again Konkan belt makes crabs in different way. I can bet Crabs tastes great in all styles!
The crucial part is to eat crabs. One has to learn the art of eating crabs. That comes with more practice. Also you could boil crabs and remove their flesh and make a boneless crab dish lol. Crab soup tastes divine. Even crab pulao tastes amazing. Do try different ways of making crabs and share your views!
Let’s make crab curry step by step:
1.First dice the crabs. Clean the crabs gently Or immerse them in some water. Keep them aside.
2. Take a frying pan. Add few drops of oil. Saute cumin seeds and fennel seeds . Once they crackle. Add 1 chopped juliennes of onion about a minute. Add chopped ginger and garlic. Saute all of them for about 3 mins on low or medium fire. Add coconut and saute for 2 mins. Once the coconut color changes to brown. Combine all of them into the grinder.
3. Form a smooth paste.
4. Chop the other onion and tomatoes.
5. Take 2 tbsp oil in a Wok or vessel. Saute onion for a minute.
6. Now add tomatoes and few coriander leaves. Saute them for a minute.
7. Add crabs into it along with turmeric.
8. Also add Red chili powder, coriander powder, malvani masala, garam masala. Combine all the crabs with these spices with the help of spatula.
9. After a minute add the coconut paste to it.
10. Now add water as per consistency required.
11. Lastly take curry leaves. You could just add them directly or break them with your hand into small pieces. Combine all of them well. Don’t forget to add salt.
12. Let this curry boil for about 20 mins on medium fire. Don’t cover this curry while cooking. Once the curry starts leaving oil your crab curry is ready. You could also taste and check if its done. Now garnish with coriander leaves or curry leaves. Serve hot with Bread or steamed rice.
If you are looking for more goan recipes then do check dry shrimp curry with raw mango, mandeli curry, mandeli fry, dry clams, shark fry, fish ambotik curry, fresh bombay duck curry and crab curry.
Crab Curry recipe below:
- 6 to 7 Big Crabs
- 2 Onions chopped Julienne
- ½ Fresh Coconut Grated (250 gms Fresh Coconut)
- 2 tbsp Fennel Seeds (Badi Saunf)
- 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
- 1 inch Ginger Chopped
- 7 to 8 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Tomato chopped
- 3 strands of Coriander Leaves
- 1 t/s Turmeric (Haldi)
- 1 t/s Red Chili Powder
- 1 t/s Coriander Seed Powder
- 1 t/s Malvani Masala
- 1 t/s Garam Masala
- 1 and ½ cup Water
- Salt as per taste
- 8 to 10 Curry leaves
- 2 tbsp Oil
- First dice the crabs. Clean the crabs gently Or immerse them in some water. Keep them aside.
- Take a frying pan. Add few drops of oil. Saute cumin seeds and fennel seeds . Once they crackle. Add 1 chopped juliennes of onion about a minute. Add chopped ginger and garlic. Saute all of them for about 3 mins on low or medium fire. Also add the grated coconut. Once the coconut color changes to brown. Combine all of them into the grinder.
- Form a smooth paste.
- Chop the other onion and tomatoes.
- Take 2 tbsp oil in a Wok or vessel. Saute onion for a minute.
- Now add tomatoes and few coriander leaves. Saute them for a minute.
- Add crabs into it along with turmeric.
- Also add Red chili powder, coriander powder, malvani masala, garam masala. Combine all the crabs with these spices with the help of spatula.
- After a minute add the coconut paste to it.
- Now add water as per consistency required.
- Lastly take curry leaves. You could just add them directly or break them with your hand into small pieces. Combine all of them well. Don't forget to add salt.
- Let this curry boil for about 20 mins on medium fire. Don't cover this curry while cooking. Once the curry starts leaving oil your crab curry is ready. You could also taste and check if its done. Now garnish with coriander leaves or curry leaves.
- Serve hot with Bread or steamed rice.
2. You could add more chili powder if more spice required.
3. Also you can make prawns curry with the same ingredients.
Hi..
When do you add the coconut to the roasting mixture? that line seems to be missing in the write-up.
Divya
Divya thanks for highlighting already rectified. Let me know how was the crab curry?
Hi Maria!
I was hoping to make your Mummy’s Special Crab Curry. It’s my Mom’s birthday this weekend, and I am cooking for about 15 people, crab curry is her favourite and she makes an awesome one! So my plan is to surprise her, the ingredients in yours sound very similiar to the flavours in hers, and even lloks like it! As it is my first attempt at a curry and your step by step guidelines and photos are most helpful. I just had a question…what is the main difference between that one and this one above. I’m wondering which now I should use, as I just came upon this one. I know she uses not the grated coconut, but the paste or milk instead. Hope to hear from you before the big cook!
Thank you!
Priscilla
Priscilla that’s great thought to cook mom food which would make her day so special
You could use coconut milk also that would get your crab curry more flavor and thin consistency Or you could make something different food and make her happy … lemme know how was it? also all the best girl!
Hi Maria!
Crab Curry was a hit! I didn’t make this one, I stuck with the Mummy’s Special and it was great! I will use less red chilli powder next time, it was super spicy as I doubled up on all the ingredients because I made double the amount of crab. Thank you so much for your pictures and step by steps, soooo helpful!
All the best,
Priscilla from Toronto, Canada!
Thanks Priscilla for trying Mummys special crab curry
yeah it’s quite hot so you could use less of chili powder. Thanks again hope your mom liked it and wish her belated wishes on my behalf 
take care have a great weekend and keep cooking! Also nice to know about a Toronto Reader.
Hi Maria,
your crab curry was too good. I was bored with our mangalorean style of crab curry and wanted to make crabs in some different style. So got your recipe while searching the net and thought of doing it since the ingredients were easily found at home and not much of work. And guess what the curry came out awesome. my daughter who hates crab wanted to eat it and she ate it too well(obviously i took the flesh out and gave her). I just wanted one clarification on the ingredients. you have mentioned 2 tbsp of fennel seed and 1 tbsp of cumin seeds. i felt the smell too strong. i had made the coconut paste with that measurement but couldnt take the strong smell. so made the coconut paste again but with 1 tbsp of fennel seeds and 1/2 tbsp of cumin seeds and then the curry turned out awesome. Thank u so much Maria for posting this recipe.
Regards
Kavitha
Thanks Kavitha for trying them and I am happy your kid loved them. You could reduce the cumin and fennel seed quantity as per your preference if you finding it too strong. Also you could increase coconut quantity if your spice is too strong. You are welcome keep cooking
Dear Maria,
the crab recipe you is so easy and so yummy. I can eat crabs the whole day. However , my favourite is butter pepper garlic crab of a place opp infinity mall. The place has unfortunately closed down.
Please do share with us a recipe of the same in case you have one.
Regards,
Ayalita
Thanks Ayalita …. I know the feeling of favorite joint closing down. I have a recipe of butter garlic pepper prawns you can replace prawns with crab meat (crab cooked and meat extracted) … click on the link out here for the recipe of butter garlic pepper prawns. Hope this helps you.
Love,
Maria
yummy
Thanks Robinson