Kakrar Jhal Bengali Crab Curry Recipe Debjanir Rannaghar (2024)

Ingredients

Scale

• 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 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• ½ Tsp 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 Tsp 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

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Cleaning and Washing Crabs

1. The outer shell and small legs of each crab need to be broken and discarded at first.
2. Break big legs from the body of the Crabs and wash everything under running normal water.
3. Add some salt to a bowl of warm water and wash Crab pieces with this Water.
4. Now take a bowl full of water and bring it to a boil.
5. 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.
6. Discard the water and use these cleaned Crab for cooking further.
7. 

To make the spice paste:

1. 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.
2. 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:

1. Take cleaned Crab pieces and sprinkle and mix some salt and turmeric powder.
2. Cut Potatoes into wedges and make paste or tomatoes and Onion separately.
3. Take Oil in a deep bottom pan and heat the oil over medium flame.
4. Shallow fry potato wedges in medium flame till they turn golden in color and strain from oil and keep aside.
5. Shallow-fry Crab pieces in the remaining oil and keeps those aside too.
6. Temper the oil with the whole spices (Whole dried Red Chili, Bay leaf, Whole Cinnamon, Cumin Seed, and Whole Green Cardamom).
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Now add 3 Cups of water and after mixing bring it to a boil.
11. Add fried potato wedges and fried Crabs and cook after covering the pan with a lid.
12. Cook until the potatoes are cooked properly and the gravy thickens a bit.
13. Adjust the water level according to taste; I prefer a bit of runny curry.
14. Add Ghee and Garam Masala Powder and give the curry a final mix and switch the flame off.
15. Serve Kakrar Jhal or Bengali Crab Curry with hot steamed rice.