Kerala Crab Curry (Njandu Curry)

By Neha Mathur

4.63 from 16 votes

on Aug 30, 2018, Updated Jan 18, 2022

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Try this easy and flavourful Kerala Crab Curry or Najnadu Curry where crab is cooked with a freshly ground coconut masala. Here is how to make it.

You can try a few more delicious recipes from Kerala – Kerala Prawn Curry, Kerala Egg Curry, Moru Curry, Kerala Style Fish Moilee, Kerala Fish Curry, Kerala Style Chicken Stew, Kerala Style Sambar and Kerala Style Pineapple Pachadi.

Kerala Crab Curry or Njandu Curry is crab cooked with spices & cooconut milk. There is a hint of sour from Kudampuli which gives it a very traditional taste.
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About This Recipe

Crab is simmered in a spicy tangy gravy prepared with freshly ground coconut masala and a few more simple ingredients. It uses local ingredients such as kudampuli and Kerala garam masala which makes this curry taste quite different and unique.

Kerala crab curry is quite popular in toddy shops in Kerala and is mostly enjoyed with a glass of sweet toddy especially on a hot summer day. It is best served with steamed rice, Kerala parotta or appam for your everyday meals.

Ingredients

Crab – Get fresh crab meat from your local grocery’s sea food counter. If you don’t have fresh crab meat available, you can use frozen crab meat as well.

Oil – Use coconut oil for authentic traditional flavour.

Kudampuli – Kudampuli is a dried Malabar tamarind that adds that perfect amount of sour and tangy flavour in the curry.

Kerala garam masala – Kerala garam masala is a bit different from the regular garam masala. You can find my homemade recipe here – Kerala Garam Masala.

Others – Fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, onion, tomato and salt.

Freshly ground coconut masala – This recipe uses freshly ground coconut masala which adds the most taste in this curry. It is prepared with fresh coconut, shallots, ginger, coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder and black peppercorn.

Use of Kashmiri red chilli powder adds nice red colour without making it too spicy.

For tempering – This crab curry is tempered with coconut oil, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves and shallots.

Serving Suggestions

Kerala Crab Curry can be served with steamed rice, Kerala parotta, appam, ghee roast dosa, iddiyappam or even idli.

Storage Suggestions

It will last for 2-3 days when stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan or microwave until hot and serve again.

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Kerala Crab Curry or Njandu Curry is crab cooked with spices & cooconut milk. There is a hint of sour from Kudampuli which gives it a very traditional taste.
4.63 from 16 votes

Kerala Crab Curry Recipe

By: Neha Mathur
Kerala Crab Curry or Njandu Curry is crab cooked with spices & cooconut milk. There is a hint of sour from Kudampuli which gives it a very traditional taste. 
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients 

  • 500 g Crab (Cleaned)
  • 2 tablespoon Coconut Oil
  • ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
  • 10-12 Curry Leaves
  • 3-4 Green Chillies (Slit into half)
  • ½ cup Onion (Sliced)
  • ½ cup Tomato (Sliced)
  • 2-3 pieces Kudampuli (Soaked in warm water for 10 minutes)
  • ½ teaspoon Kerala Garam Masala
  • Salt to taste

For the coconut paste

  • 1 cup Fresh Coconut (Grated)
  • 4-6 Shallots (Sliced)
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger (Grated)
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorn

For tempering

  • 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
  • ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
  • 2-3 Dry Red Chillies
  • 10-12 Curry Leaves
  • 4-5 Shallots (Sliced)
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Instructions 

  • Add all the ingredients for the coconut paste in a blender and blend to make a smooth paste.
  • Use little water while making the paste.
  • Heat 2 tablespoon coconut oil in a pan.
  • Once the oil is hot, add fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and let them crackle for a few seconds.
  • Add green chilli and onion and fry until onion turns translucent.
  • Add tomato and the prepared coconut paste.
  • Cook for a minute.
  • Add Kudampuli, 2 cups of water, Kerala Garam Masala, salt to taste and crab.
  • Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes.
  • Add more water if required and bring the curry to a boil.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil for tempering.
  • Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies, and curry leaves and let them crackle for a few seconds.
  • Add shallots and fry until slightly browned.
  • Pour the tempering over the crab curry.
  • Serve hot with rice.

Notes

Use Tamarind paste if Kudampuli is not available.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 410mg, Potassium: 488mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 960IU, Vitamin C: 148.1mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 2.2mg
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4.63 from 16 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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14 Comments

  2. 5 stars
    I tried this recipe with no experience of cooking crab and it turned out so amazing, that, crab curry is now a regular at our house.. My kids who are 4 and 6 years old love it too!!
    Thank you for a wonderful recipe..

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    I tried this recipe and it was amazing! It was simple to follow but the flavour was out of this world!

    Reply