Classic Goan Crab Curry Recipe – A delicious goan crab curry made with spices and goes well with rice or pao. Again another version of crab curry courtesy goes to my mom. I am in love with my moms food wonder who is not? This curry is amazing in taste that too without coconut. The dark orange color curry with a great aroma. I feel right now to dip bread into this curry and eat….Yum.
Generally avoid eating crabs and mussels is summer as it consists lot of heat. I am a blend of coastal region. You could also tell me a cocktail of 2 regions :)….. Since childhood I have been eating coastal food along with south Indian food. Like dosa, idlis , fish curry, goan food. May be that is why I love coastal food. Coz It is in my blood and genes. Not that I dislike vegetables. But love coastal food especially fish.
The crucial part of crabs is breaking them alive. Also cleaning them is a pain. But there is no gain without pain. Check some more crab recipe which is my moms special like mom crab curry and green crab curry.
In my house my pet also loves crabs. I have to remove the meat and give to my pet. My pet loves the curry and crab meat. Even my mothers friends, relatives love crabs made by mom. Guess crab curry is quite popular in my moms world in her own way.
How to make Goan Crab Curry recipe:
1. Keep all ingredients handy.
2. Combine 1 chopped onion, cumin seed, fennel seed, coriander seed, chopped ginger, garlic cloves, kashmiri chili, tamarind. Also add cloves, cinnamon, javitri, pepper corn, turmeric. Grind all of them to form a smooth paste. Add little water if required.
3. Now take a big wok or vessel. Add oil once hot. Saute 1 chopped onion. Stir for a minute on low flame.
4. It is time to add chopped tomatoes. Saute for about 2 to 3 mins.
5. Add the grounded paste to it. Stir for 5 mins.
6. After about 3 mins add cleaned crabs.
7. Let this boil for more 10 to 12 mins without lid on low flame. The curry will start bubbling. You can add water as consistency of curry required. Add salt as per taste.
8. Switch off the gas and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve goan crab curry with bread, Pav, or steamed rice. The goan crab curry also tastes great with chapatis.
Goan Crab Curry recipe card below:
- 1 kilo crabs
- 2 Onions chopped (1 for paste, Other for tadka)
- 1 tomato chopped
- 3 tamarind pieces
- 16 to 19 Garlic Cloves
- 6 to 7 Kashmiri Chilies
- 3 tbsp Coriander seed
- 1.5 tbsp Cumin seed
- 2 tbsp fennel seed
- 1 inch Ginger Chopped
- 20 to 22 Pepper Corn
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 5 to 6 Cloves
- 1 Javitri
- Few Chopped Coriander leaves for garnishing
- Salt as per taste
- 1 tbsp Turmeric
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 cup water
- Combine 1 chopped onion, cumin seed, fennel seed, coriander seed, chopped ginger, garlic cloves, kashmiri chili, tamarind. Also add cloves, cinnamon, javitri, pepper corn, turmeric. Grind all of them to form a smooth paste. Add little water if required.
- Now take a big wok or vessel. Add oil once hot. Saute 1 chopped onion. Stir for a minute on low flame.
- It is time to add chopped tomatoes. Saute for about 2 to 3 mins.
- Add the grounded paste to it. Stir for 5 mins.
- After about 3 mins add cleaned crabs.
- Let this boil for more 10 to 12 mins without lid on low flame. The curry will start bubbling. You can add water as consistency of curry required. Add salt as per taste.
- Switch off the gas and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve goan crab curry with bread, Pav, or steamed rice. The goan crab curry also tastes great with chapatis.
- DO try this yum Goan Crab Curry.
Amy says
Great recipe. I just added a handful of scraped coconut at the end. My family enjoyed the crabs this afternoon for lunch.
maria says
Glad your family liked the craby curry 🙂 thanks for positive views.
Pragnya says
Hi
Tried crabs curry for first time with your recipe. It is easy and tasty. Thnk q
maria says
Thankyou Pragnya and you are welcome 🙂
xec xec xec says
The site is very good,We are having all the yummy recipes in this site.Thanks for sharing this post from your blog. It is very useful and we got all the recipes from your blog
maria says
thankyou hope you have given the link credit to our blog.
goan crab xec xec recipe says
It’s very helpful article, We are very well impressed about your blog’s articles.And We are having all the yummy tasty recipes from your site. Thanks for sharing this post.
maria says
thankyou venkateswal 🙂
Li says
Maria, I am a new fan of your fantastic website and can hardly wait to try your different seafood recipes.
I recently returned from a trip to India. While in Mumbai I tried a fantastic Mangolorean Crab Curry at Mahesh Home restaurant. Can you tell me how Mangalorean Crab Curry is different from Goan Crab Curry? Which one of your crab curries would be most similar or if it is quite different, do you have a recipe to share?
Thanks!
maria says
Li thankyou for your kind words manglorean use diiferent spices then goan food. There are lot of crab curries on our food blog and all taste equally great my favorite is mom’s crab curry.
Kavita says
Is your pet a dog or cat. They cannot digest curry, salt, sugar, grapes,raisins, chocolates or avocado. Terrible idea to feed them this as it is toxic and cause death.
maria says
Hey Kavita don’t worry we used to feed her just a bit as she used to be behind us. She was a dog lived for 14 years and left us 2.5 yrs back. I know that we used to feed her pedigree.
Kavita says
I’m sorry to hear about her passing 🙁 but generally even a “little” curry can be life threatening. Thanks for sharing the recipe, I tried this alteration to my normal recipe and it was really amazing. You may check the photo out here: http://instagram.com/p/yAF2UQLDxE/
maria says
True Kavita I love my pet I don’t miss her because she always there on my mind. I checked and your crab curry looks yum 🙂
Amrita says
Hi Maria,
Made this on Sunday and it was simply awesome!!!!! Everyone loved it. Thanks for the detailed recipe and careful instructions and the lovely pictures.
Keep posting.
Cheers
maria says
Amrita thankyou for trying the Goan crab curry and writing your feedback I am glad you liked it 🙂
anna says
could you pls mention the quantity of the crabs i cant see anyone questioning the quantity of the crab in the recipe
maria says
Anna about 1 kilo of crabs used in the recipe.
dhana says
Hi Maria, I have become a huge fan of your website. The other day I made my first fish curry using your recipe and my brother was just raving about it. Being a mumbaikar – we both miss Mumbai flavors (authentic fish curry flavors) in Indian restaurants here in bay area but thanks to your site now we can enjoy that at home.
Thank you so much !!!
-dhana
maria says
Thanks Dhana for writing back with positive words 🙂 I am glad you liked the goan fish curry I have a lot of other sea food recipes as well on my blog. Yes I also miss Mumbai as live at Pune post marriage but don’t miss Mumbai food as I make them home 😉 You are welcome looking forward for more interactions take care have great day.
Amanda Noronha says
Beautiful recipe , I just came across it and decided to give it a go. So simple but yet to flavorsome. keep up the good work.
maria says
Thankyou Amanda 🙂 I am glad you liked the goan crab curry.
Anjani Deodhar says
To get the orange color I used kashmiri chili powder or mix a little paprika in water and add at the end give a nice color 🙂
maria says
Thanks Anjani for your useful tip 🙂
Jardar Vegarud says
I’m so glad I found this recipe on your web site! Been looking for it for more than four years since I spent my holiday at Zanzibar (didn’t know the name or its origin:)). Made it yesterday, and it was just as delicious as I remembered it to be! Only thing: It didn’t get the deep orange colour as in the photos. More brown-like, but still a wonderful tasty dish:) Thank you!
maria says
Thanks Jardar for coming here and sharing your feedback :)…. the color is deep orange because of kashmiri red chilies in the paste. Color depends on which kind of red chilies have you used for the dish.
jaya says
Hi, thanks for the post and specially for wonderful pictures. I’m gonna try it right now 🙂 Since kashmiri chilly is not available now, will try with normal chillies and let u know the result.
But usually in chennai, we dont add that outer shell of crab. Why is it added when there is nothing in it? Interested to know.
maria says
Jaya thanks for coming here 🙂 crab shells when cooked gives great taste to curry. You may discard the crab shells once you have cooked the curry. Hope this helps you 🙂 do share your feedback take care and happy cooking.
jaya says
Thanks for the info 🙂 I tried this recipe yesterday. It came out very well. Tasty and spicy 🙂 The best thing is cooking consumed only 20 minutes 🙂 Quickest crab curry i’ve ever made. Thanks.
maria says
Thanks Jaya for sharing your feedback I am happy you liked them 🙂
Maureen Pereira says
good one
maria says
Thanks Maureen do try them surely 🙂
peter says
hi i tried prawns curry south indian style i didnt like the taste at all it smell burnt or may be coz roasting garam masala
maria says
Peter thanks for trying while you roasting garam masala ensure you don’t burn them just place them on low heat. Hope this helps you Peter 🙂
sophia fernandes says
love crab,specialy wen my mom cooks it at home….
maria says
Sophie I also love mom’s crab curry it’s delish 🙂
ANJANI says
I checked out you site for the first time ,I must say the crab curry was very tasty, the best part was that there was no coconut or coconut milk, despite which it was healthy and delicious. Your recipes are very well presented and good , take this from a Dietitian. The recipe calls for cumin seeds, but the pic looks like fennel ( saunf) Please clarify.Thanks.
maria says
Thanks a ton Anjani 🙂 already rectified thanks for pointing out! it’s got fennel and cumin seeds both of them. Nice to know from a Dietitian……… take care.
hema patkar says
hi just got crabs going to try this goan style thanks vishal
maria says
Lemme know Vishal and Hema how it was?
vishal mangalorkar says
This is a great recipe.
Made it for my friends two weeks back and they want more this weekend.
Thanks
Vishal
maria says
Hey Vishal,
Thanks and double thanks to my mom for making this recipe 🙂 …………………. do keep cooking it’s fun when people around you love to eat what you cook! Enjoy your weekend.
Love,
Maria
cakebrain says
Love crab; love curry! I’m just afraid of killing the critters…I’ll have to find a fishmonger who’ll kill it for me! Looks scrumptious! I love how there’s all that sauce to sop up with the chapatis
maria says
Hi,
Cool you also love crabs. Thank you for your humorous comments. Do try this crab curry.
Love,
Maria