Kakrar Jhal, a flavorful Bengali crab curry made with fresh crab and chunks of potato, is seasoned with a special blend of spices. It's definitely a favorite in our family!

Jump to:
- Bengali-style Kakrar Jhal
- A good quality crab is a must for Bengali Crab Curry
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Kakrar Jhal; Written Recipe
- Recipe Card
- Top tip
- Rice Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar
- Have you tried the Bengali Kakrar Jhal recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Here's the Perfect Bengali Crab Curry Recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board!
Bengali-style Kakrar Jhal
I had been wanting to make a traditional Bengali-style Kakrar Jhal, or crab curry, for ages! Though I adore it, I just got around to making it in my own kitchen last week. My Mom always worries that eating too much crab will cause stomach problems, so she avoids making it whenever possible. Crab is practically off the menu at my parents' house! Because of this, I usually enjoyed crab curry at my friends' homes. Even when we lived in Gurgaon, we would search out Bengali restaurants for crab, and somehow I never made it myself.
A good quality crab is a must for Bengali Crab Curry
To make delicious Bengali Crab Curry, you need good quality crab. I recently found some great crabs at the market and immediately called my friend S for help – I didn't even know how to clean them! She suggested asking the vendor to clean the crab and shared her family recipe for Kakrar Jhal, or Bengali Crab Curry. I checked my cookbooks and online, and found similar recipes. Last week, I bought the crabs from a fish vendor I trust at Patuli Market, and he cleaned them for me.
First, he cracked open the crab, tossing away the shell and small legs. Then, he carefully cleaned the main part of the crab and its large legs, instructing me to wash them thoroughly at home before cooking. He also gave me the crab eggs in a separate bag, suggesting I add them to the curry for a richer taste. Following his instructions, I cleaned the crab pieces twice with warm, salted water. After that, I sprinkled them with salt and turmeric powder, and boiled them in hot water for five minutes. Finally, I drained the water and used the crab pieces for cooking.
When I make Kakrar Jhal, a flavorful crab curry cooked in the "bong" style, I always add chunks of potato. I love how potatoes add substance to many dishes, especially in Bengali cooking. Bengalis often enjoy their thin chicken or mutton curries with large pieces of potato such as Murgir Jhol (chicken curry) or Kochi Pathar Jhol (mutton curry). For this crab curry, though, I used potato wedges instead of chunks. With a few simple spices, the curry turned out incredibly delicious – a truly finger-licking Kakrar Jhal!
Frequently Asked Questions
Crab is packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals, making it a healthy choice. However, remember that the curry's overall healthfulness depends on all the ingredients and how it's prepared.
In India, mud crab, rock crab, and sea crab are popular options.
Kakrar Jhal; Written Recipe
Recipe Card
Kakrar Jhal | Bengali Crab Curry
Kakrar Jhal or Bengali Crab Curry is a gravy-based curry prepared with Crab and potato chunks and is a traditional Bengali preparation of Crab!
Ingredients
- 5 Crab / Kakra separated and cleaned; refer to the video shared and the note for cleaning process
- 3 Potato medium size
- 2 Onion
- 2 Tomato
- 1 Tsp. Ginger Paste
- 1.5 Tsp. Garlic Paste
- 1 Tsp. Salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala Powder
- 2 Tbsp. Mustard Oil
- 1 Tsp. Ghee
Tempering
- 1 Whole dried Red Chili
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1- inch Whole Cinnamon
- ½ Tsp. Cumin Seed
- 3 Whole Green Cardamom
To make the Spice paste
- 1 Tsp. Cumin Powder
- 1 Tsp. Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala Powder
- ½ Tsp. Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder can be added more
- 1 Tsp. Salt or as per taste
- 1 Tbsp. Sugar
- 1 Tbsp. Mustard Oil
Instructions
Cleaning and Washing Crabs
- The outer shell and small legs of each crab need to be broken and discarded at first.
- Break big legs from the body of the Crabs and wash everything under running normal water.
- Add some salt to a bowl of warm water and wash Crab pieces with this Water.
- Now take a bowl full of water and bring it to a boil.
- Sprinkle some salt and turmeric Powder over the crab pieces and add those to the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes on high flame.
- Discard the water and use these cleaned Crab for cooking further.
To make the spice paste:
- Take all the spices mentioned under the ingredient list of spice mix which are Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Bengali Garam Masala Powder, Turmeric Powder, Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, Salt, Sugar, and Mustard Oil in a bowl and mix using a spoon.
- Add little water if found the paste is too dry and keep the spice paste aside for further cooking.
To make Kakrar Jhal or Bengali Crab Curry:
- Take cleaned Crab pieces and sprinkle and mix some salt and turmeric powder.
- Cut Potatoes into wedges and make paste or tomatoes and Onion separately.
- Take Oil in a deep bottom pan and heat the oil over medium flame.
- Shallow fry potato wedges in medium flame till they turn golden in color and strain from oil and keep aside.
- Shallow-fry Crab pieces in the remaining oil and keeps those aside too.
- Temper the oil with the whole spices (Whole dried Red Chili, Bay leaf, Whole Cinnamon, Cumin Seed, and Whole Green Cardamom).
- When the spices start spurting add onion paste to it and start cooking on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes until the onion changes color to light brown.
- Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes and then add ginger and garlic paste to it and cook till the spices are mixed properly and the oil separates from the edges.
- Add previously prepared spice paste to the pan and mix with a spatula and add 1 Tbsp. of water to it and then cook for 2-3 minutes or till the thick gravy emits an aroma and releases oil from the edges.
- Now add 3 Cups of water and after mixing bring it to a boil.
- Add fried potato wedges and fried Crabs and cook after covering the pan with a lid.
- Cook until the potatoes are cooked properly and the gravy thickens a bit.
- Adjust the water level according to taste; I prefer a bit of runny curry.
- Add Ghee and Garam Masala Powder and give the curry a final mix and switch the flame off.
- Serve Kakrar Jhal or Bengali Crab Curry with hot steamed rice.
Nutrition
Top tip
Proper cleaning of crab is a must and try to follow this as properly as possible. Here I am sharing the video link of crab cleaning from my youtube channel (debjanir rannaghar).
Rice Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar
(to match with Bengali Crab Curry)
- Instant Chicken Pulao Recipe (also known as Chicken Pulao in Pressure Cooker)
- Narkel Doodh Pulao (also known as Coconut link Pulav)
- Dhakai Morog Pulao (also known as Sahi Morog Pulao)
- Birista Pulao (also known as Piyaz Beresta Pulao)
- Bou Khuda (also known as Boua Pulao or Bou Khudi)
- Bengali Basanti Pulao (also known as Bengali Holud Pulao Recipe | Bhoger Misti Pulao)
- Ghee Bhat (also known as Bengali Sweet Pulao)
- Easy Soya Chunks Pulao recipe (also known as Soya Pulao | Soya Rice)
- Bhat Bhaja (also known as Bengali Bhaja Bhat)
Have you tried the Bengali Kakrar Jhal recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
I would love to see a picture if you are making it following my recipe. You can share here at dolonchttrj@gmail.com. You can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar and share it through Instagram as well. and in addition, you can tag me at @foodofdebjani.
Bubai says
You made my mouth water. I am a single guy and get home - delivery meals. To such a one as me these pics are an emotional ottyachaar ...lol... But I'll try to get this made for me. But how to recognise the right crabs. Aren't they too small the ones that they sell, the hawkers, carrying the crabs in netted baskets hanging from the poles carried on the shoulders??
Debjani says
Hahaha this is epic!
don't buy smaller crabs! ideally crab should be of size of your palm (or even bigger) and easily available in fish market and even in malls nowadays. Do ask the vendor to cut and cleat it and you will get processed one in Mall.