Indian Crab Curry

Close-Up Of Crab Gravy Served On Table
Azirull Amin Aripin / EyeEm / Getty Images
  • 30 mins
  • Prep: 20 mins,
  • Cook: 10 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
Ratings (23)

By Petrina Verma Sarkar

Updated 04/11/18

This recipe for Indian crab curry minimizes the curry flavor so that the crab is the focus of the dish. Try serving this curry with plain boiled rice and plenty of gravy. To lighten the dish, reduce the amount of gravy by adding less water.

What You'll Need

  • 8 crabs
  • 1 1/2-inch lump of tamarind
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 2 large onions sliced
  • 2 large tomatoes sliced
  • 10 dry red chilies (use less if you do not want a hot curry)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste
  • 1 1/2 cups grated fresh coconut
  • 2 tablespoons coriander powder
  • 2 tablespoons cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 2 green chilies slit
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable, canola or sunflower cooking oil
  • Hot water for gravy (approximately 3 cups)
  • Salt to taste

How to Make It

  1. Remove the crab legs and set them aside. Remove the claws from the legs so that each leg is divided into two parts.
  2. Cut the crab bodies into halves or quarters with a cleaver. 
  3. Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Mash the tamarind with your fingers to mix it well into the water. Strain it through a sieve to extract all the pulp. Set the pulp aside.
  4. Put the onion, tomato, coconut, ginger, garlic, dry red chilies, all of the spices and the tamarind pureé into your food processor and grind the mixture well to make a smooth paste (also called masala).
  1. Set a deep, heavy-bottomed pan over a medium flame, and when the pan is hot, add the cooking oil and heat the oil.
  2. Add the green chilies and the masala paste to the oil and sauté for five minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
  3. Add 3 cups of hot water -- more or less if you would like more or less gravy -- and bring the gravy to a boil. Reduce the flame to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
  4. Gently add the pieces of crab to the gravy and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes.
  5. Turn off the fire and serve immediately with plain boiled rice or ​jeera rice.
  6. Eat the crab curry with your fingers.
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 552
Total Fat 15 g
Saturated Fat 10 g
Unsaturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 151 mg
Sodium 1,972 mg
Carbohydrates 60 g
Dietary Fiber 12 g
Protein 50 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)