CKP style Crab Curry

🦀 CKP Style Crab Curry | Authentic Maharashtrian Crab Curry A rich, spicy and tangy CKP-style crab curry made with fresh crabs, hirwa vatan, coconut, tamarind and kokum. The crab-leg stock adds an incredible depth of flavour to the curry, while coconut milk gives it a beautifully creamy finish. 🦀 Ingredients 3 large crabs For the curry: 2 onions, finely chopped 4–5 tsp hirwa vatan 2–3 bay leaves 1 stick cinnamon 1 tsp red chilli powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp garam masala 1 small ball tamarind 2–3 pieces kokum 100 ml coconut milk Fresh coriander, chopped Oil, as required Salt, to taste Water, as required 🦀 Preparing the Crabs Keep the crab shells intact. Clean the crabs thoroughly. I like to dip a toothbrush in baking powder and scrub the crabs properly, including the pincers. Remove the nails from the crab legs. Add the legs to water and grind well to extract all the flavour. Strain this mixture through a fine sieve or strainer 2–3 times and keep the crab-leg stock aside. 🍛 Making the Crab Curry Heat oil in a large pan. Add 2–3 bay leaves and one stick of cinnamon. Add the chopped onions and sauté until they soften. Add 4–5 tablespoons of hirwa vatan and sauté until fragrant. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric and garam masala. Add a little water and cook the masalas properly so they don't remain raw. 🥥 Coconut-Onion Paste Add coconut and onion paste to the pan. While grinding the paste, add a small ball of tamarind. Add this paste to the masala and sauté everything well until the raw smell disappears. 🦀 Cooking the Crabs Now add the cleaned crabs to the curry. Pour in the reserved crab-leg stock. Add enough water to achieve your preferred curry consistency. Add 2–3 pieces of kokum. Cover and cook the crabs for approximately 10–15 minutes, allowing all the flavours to come together. Finally, add around 100 ml coconut milk and gently simmer for a few minutes. Finish with freshly chopped coriander. 🍚 Serving Serve this delicious CKP-style crab curry hot with steamed rice. The combination of crab, hirwa vatan, coconut, tamarind and kokum gives this curry that perfect spicy, tangy and creamy Maharashtrian flavour! 🦀❤️ Tip: Don't throw away those crab legs! Extracting the flavour and using that strained stock in the curry makes a huge difference to the taste. #CKPCrabCurry #CrabCurry #MaharashtrianCuisine #AuthenticMaharashtrian #SeafoodRecipes #IndianSeafood #KonkaniCuisine #HirwaVatan #CoconutCurry #SpicyCurry #HomemadeCurry #TraditionalRecipes #IndianFood #SeafoodLovers #ComfortFood