Kurle ambat recipe- Konkani style crab curry recipe

Kurle ambat recipe - The Crab Curry  is one of my favorites among the coconut based seafood curry recipe.The recipe of crab curry  posted here is Konkani style of preparation of crab curry. In this curry I used roasted spices like red chillies, coriander seeds, methi seeds and mustard seeds. Sometimes I use spices without roasting.  This gives a different flavor to the curry. In such a situation do not use methi and mustard seeds.

I Always use byadagi chillies because they are deep red in colour and less pungent than other chilli varieties. There are two varieties  of crabs available in the fish market. Sea Crab (we call this jali) with dotted outer skin which is soft and easy to eat,  second variety is  river crab with plain outer skin which is little bit harder than sea  crab (jali). 

Both types of crab tastes good. You can use either of them for the curry. I used sea crabs (jali) in this recipe. You can also use the same recipe to make curry from fresh white prawns. The following ingredients are sufficient to make curry of  25 large sized or 35 to 40 medium sized fresh prawns.

Kurle Ambat Recipe-  Crab Curry Recipe

Prep time : 30 mins
Cook time : 25 mins
Total time : 55 mins
Recipe type : Crab Curry
Cuisine : Konkani
Yield : Serves 3
Author : Vidya Chandrahas

Ingredients 

• 10 to 12  medium sized crabs
• 2  large sized onions, finely chopped
• 2 tsp oil
• Salt to taste

Grind to paste 

• 1/2 coconut
• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 15-20 fenugreek seeds / menthe kalu
• 1/4th tsp mustard seeds
• 15 byadagi red chillies /  (or 3 tbsp red chilli powder )
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 10 garlic cloves
• Small lemon sized tamarind

Method 

1. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Soak tamarind in little water and keep it aside.
2. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan, add  coriander seeds  and fry them until aromatic.
3. In the same pan  splutter  mustard seeds and fry fenugreek seeds  separately and keep it aside.
4. Add 1 tsp oil and fry whole red chillies until it turns light brown in colour.
5. Grind together the coconut, coriander seeds, chillies or chilli  powder, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and  turmeric powder into a smooth paste. Use water if required.
6. Now, add soaked tamarind and grind it for another 1 minute.
7. In the last round, add garlic cloves and grind everything into a smooth paste.
8. Clean and cut crabs. Break claws / dongo of the crabs, wash thoroughly and keep it aside. Use dongo in the curry.
9. In a heavy bottomed vessel heat 2 tsp oil, add onions and fry on a medium flame for about 1 minute. Add crabs along with the claws and fry for 5 minutes.
10. Now add coconut masala paste, and  salt to the fried crabs, mix in well and add enough water to get a medium thick curry  consistency.
11. Cook crab curry  until crabs are properly cooked. It may take 10-12 minutes. When it is done, remove from the flame, cover a lid and keep it aside. After 10 minutes, remove the lid.
12. Serve kurle ambat with hot steamed rice.

Kurle ambat - step by step pictures

1.  Grate coconut and keep it aside. Soak tamarind in little water and keep it aside.

2.  Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan, add  coriander seeds  and fry them until aromatic.

3.  In the same pan  splutter  mustard seeds and fry fenugreek seeds  separately and keep it aside.

4.  Add 1 tsp oil and fry whole red chillies until it turns light brown in colour.

5.  Grind together the coconut, coriander seeds, chillies or chilli  powder, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and  turmeric powder into a smooth paste. Use water if required.

6.  Now, add soaked tamarind and grind it for another 1 minute.

7.  In the last round, add garlic cloves and grind everything into a smooth paste.
Now, crab curry masala paste is ready as shown in the picture below.

8.  Clean and cut crabs. Break claws / dongo of the crabs, wash thoroughly and keep it aside. Use dongo in the curry. 

9.  In a heavy bottomed vessel heat 2 tsp oil, add onions and fry on a medium flame for about 1 minute. Add crabs along with the claws / dongo and fry for 5 minutes  as shown in the picture below.

10.  Now,  add coconut masala paste, and  salt to the fried crabs, mix in well and add enough water to get a medium thick curry  consistency. 

11.  Cook crab curry  until crabs are properly cooked. It may take 10-12 minutes. When it is done, remove from the flame, cover a lid and keep it aside. After 10 minutes, remove the lid. 

12.  Serve kurle ambat with hot steamed rice.