This Crab Malai Curry recipe is a gem! Fresh Crabs cooked with coconut milk and the basic spices used for Chingri Malai Curry cannot go wrong after all!
Jump to:
- Easy to follow Recipe
- Authentic Malai Curry Recipe?
- Crab Curry with Coconut Milk
- For the love of Kakra aka Crab!
- What do you need for Crab Malai Curry?
- Recipe Card
- Easy Fish and Seafood Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar
- Have you tried the Narkel Dudh-e Kakra recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Here's the Perfect Bengali Crab Malai Curry Recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board!
Another important thing is that it takes a total of thirty minutes to cook this light crab curry with coconut milk. I am not considering crab cleaning as part of the cooking process here. There is a crab-cleaning video on my YouTube channel - DebjanirRannaghar. Take a look if you want. Coming back to cooking; although fresh coconut milk works best; however it takes time to extract. From time to time I use packaged coconut milk. It saves a lot of time.
Easy to follow Recipe
Though I am a recipe chronicler, however, I never have been a fan of complicated cooking processes unless it is demanded by the recipe. I believe simplicity works best. I am a full-time professional with a demanding job and after that, I love to spend time with my family. Though my human daughter and my canine daughters (there are two) and husband-man are not demanding yet I prefer quality time with them. Cuddling is important after all. Then there are parents from both sides; a call away and a bit immature as they are growing young day by day.
Then there are books, movies, OTTs, and most importantly the phase of doing nothing. Then comes cooking or baking, and hence, I look forward to the simplest and less time-consuming processes. Why am I writing these? Well, I need to justify the simplest cooking process; that's why!
Authentic Malai Curry Recipe?
Hey! Do you think Bengali Malai Curry is authentic? I am talking about Chingri aka Prawn Malai Curry by the way. I am assuming you know about the good old story about this quintessential Bengali delicacy. I(f not, you better read about Chingri Malaikari here!
Chingri Malai Curry
Crab Curry with Coconut Milk
Actually, I can very easily call this dish Crab Curry with coconut milk; or Coconut milk Crab, or something similar. However, considering the spices I have used and the process I have followed I decided on Crab Malai Curry aka Kakra Malai Curry.
I followed the exact same recipe that I use for Prawn curry with coconut milk. In fact, following the same process, I cook Chicken and call that Chicken Malai Curry; I use Egg and call that Egg Malai Curry. I use Paneer and call that Paneer Malai Curry and so on. Basically, coconut milk-based gravy is a life savior.
For the love of Kakra aka Crab!
Mehebub came home last Sunday with a bunch of fresh crabs. Not every day we got to get Crab aka Kakra of this quality. We are a crab-loving family. I have posted several recipes for crab here and you may check those if you wish. I had 2 packets of coconut milk available and I decided on the Crab Malai Curry.
What do you need for Crab Malai Curry?
- Crab
- Coconut Milk
- Onion
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Tomato
- Green Chili
- Bengali Garam Masala
- Salt
- Sugar
- Red Chilli Powder
- Bay leaves
- Dry Red Chili
- Cinnamon Stick
- Green Cardamom
- Oil
- Ghee and
- Loads of love!
Do you think I missed a few ingredients, especially spices? Well, my friend, you must consider the flavor of the crab while cooking it. I prefer to not overpower a subtle curry cooked with crabs and coconut milk with spices. These two ingredients are enough along with a few basic spices to cook an amazing crab curry which is delicious yet comforting.
What about the Writer's block I have mentioned in the Chitol Macher Muitha post?
Next time maybe. I don't want to overpower a subtle curry post with a story that is simple 😉 .
Recipe Card
Crab Malai Curry | Narkel Dudh-e Kakra | Kakra Malai Curry
Creamy and flavorful Crab Malai Curry! A modified version of Bengali Chingri Malai Curry wherein fresh Crabs are used instead of Prawns.
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Crab
- 300 ml Coconut Milk
- 2 Onion
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp. Ginger Paste
- 1 Tbsp. Garlic Paste
- 4 Green Chilies
- 3 Tbsp. Mustard Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Ghee
Spice Powders
- 2 Tsp. Turmeric Powder to be used in cleaning and also while cooking
- 1 Tsp. Red Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp. Bengali Garam Masala Powder
- 1 Tsp. Sugar
- 2 Tsp. Salt to be used in cleaning and also while cooking
Whole Spices
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 Dry Red Chili
- 1- inch Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Green Cardamom
Instructions
Crab Cleaning
- Check the video
- Wash crabs with water.
- Remove the outer shell and the triangular part covering the abdominal part and discard.
- Now separate the legs followed by the Claws.
- In Bengal, we eat the legs (and for sure the claws).
- Now use a sharp knife (or similar) to insert from where the triangular part was removed.
- Pressing through, remove the inner shell and discard that too.
- You may need to use a hammer to loosen the shell!
- Now take each leg and hammer it lightly and then remove the thread and discard.
- Check if there is crab butter inside the body. If present, wash the crab very carefully after extracting the butter.
- Add this to the gravy and it will take the curry to another level.
- Bring a vessel full of water to boil along with 1 Tsp. each of Salt and Turmeric Powder.
- Add crabs to it and cook for 2 minutes and then discard the water.
- The crabs will be used safely after this process. This is optional yet a necessary one I prefer to avoid stomach problems.
- You Better check the video to understand the process of crab cleaning. In case you are using cleaned and packaged crab, you don't need to follow this step.
- This cleaning process takes around 30 minutes for around 10 crabs. As this is optional I am not considering it as part of the cooking process.
- You can do this beforehand and store the cleaned crabs in the refrigerator for future use. I generally do that.
Making the Crab Malai Curry
- Take cleaned crabs and marinade those with ½ Tsp. each of Salt and Turmeric Powder and give a rest of 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make a paste of Onions and Tomatoes separately.
- Now heat Mustard Oil in a pan.
- Fry the crabs for 1 minute. While frying; add those in one go as you do not need to deep-fry the crabs but shallow fry those.
- Once done, strain the crabs from the oil.
- Add half of the ghee to the remaining oil.
- Now temper the Ghee and Oil mix with Bay leaves, Dry Red Chili, Cinnamon Stick, and also Green Cardamom.
- Cook for a minute on low flame.
- Now add Onion paste and cook till the onion changes color and stated leaving oil from the edges.
- Once done, add ginger and garlic paste and cook till the raw aroma of garlic goes away completely.
- Now add Tomato paste and also green chilies (I cut those into halves).
- Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes or till the raw aroma goes away and the mixture leaves oil from the side.
- Now add Red Chili Powder, Sugar, ½ Tsp. Salt and also ½ of the Bengali Garam Masala and give a thorough mix.
- Once properly cooked, add coconut milk and mix.
- Add one cup of water and bring it to a boil.
- Now add fried crabs.
- The crabs should be soaked in the gravy but there should not be excess liquid.
- Bring it to a boil and cook till the gravy and the crabs are on the same level.
- It should take around 5 minutes on medium flame.
- Once done, add the remaining Bengali Garam Masala and remaining Ghee and give a gentle mix.
- Serve the Crab Malai Curry hot with steamed rice.
Notes
- You do not need to boil the crabs and discard the water if using packaged crab.
- In case you are using fresh coconut milk; 2 coconuts will be needed.
- While extracting the milk, use the 2nd level milk (extracted from the scrapped coconut after getting the thick milk) using excess water. In this case, do not add extra water while cooking the gravy.
- As I have used packaged coconut milk, I had to add water for the perfect consistency of the gravy.
- Instead of Bengali Garam Masala, you can use Sahi Garam Masala. However, I do not like spices overpowering crab and hence, I use a lighter spice mix.
Nutrition
Easy Fish and Seafood Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar
- Malabar Squid Curry (also known as Nadan Koonthal Curry)
- Creamy Butter Garlic Crab
- Chingri Paturi (also known as Bengali Prawn Paturi)
- Chingri Bati Chorchori (also known as Chingri Macher Batichorchori)
- Crab Biryani (also known as Crab Dum Biryani or Nandu Biryani)
- Kakrar Jhal (also known as Bengali Crab Curry)
- Bori Begun Aloo diye Ilish Macher Tel Jhol (also known as Ilisher Tel Jhol)
Have you tried the Narkel Dudh-e Kakra recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
I would love to see a picture if you are making it following my recipe. You can share here at [email protected]. You can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar and share it through Instagram as well. and in addition, you can tag me at @foodofdebjani.
Here's the Perfect Bengali Crab Malai Curry Recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board!
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
Leave a Reply