Kakara Kosha / Crab Sukha (Bengali Style)

While driving towards the outskirts of Mumbai during the rainy season, we get to see land filled with water getting ready for the rice cultivation, small water streams and small water bodies flowing around.. there are lots of small fish and mud crabs that you get to see being sold by the locals which are freshly caught. They are great in taste. We managed to get  some mud crabs and cat fish. 

Here is a recipe of  Kakara Kosha. It’s a Bengali way of making crab Sukha..  

While cleaning the crabs, separate out the crab legs from the body, gently crush them. Keep the crab fat and eggs in separate bowl.    

Enjoy this dish with rice or paratha. 

Ingredients 

5 medium size Crabs cleaned 

Keep the crab fat / tomalley and crab eggs separately 

2 medium size Onions sliced 

1 big Tomato chopped 

5 to 6 Green Chilli crushed 

10 to 12 Garlic Cloves crushed 

1 medium piece of Ginger crushed 

2 Bay leaves 

1 Green Cardamom 

2 Cloves 

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Sugar 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder 

1 tsp Ghee

1/2 cup Mustard Oil 

1/2 cup Water 

Method

Add salt and little turmeric powder into the crabs and mix them. Take 1/4 cup of Mustard oil, let it heat, on a medium flame stir fry the crabs until it changes its colour. Remove and keep it aside, add the remaining oil in the same wok, add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves, stir, add the sliced onions, sauté the onions until translucent, in between add salt and sugar, continue to cook. Add the crushed ginger - garlic and chillies, stir and continue to cook for a minute, add the  chopped tomato, stir, add turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir and continue to cook, add Kashmiri red chilli powder. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the oil release. Add the crab fat and crab eggs if any. Stir and cook for another minute. Add the water, let it simmer, add the crabs. Stir and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the ghee and garam masala. Let it cook for another minute. Once done switch off the flame. Enjoy the crab bhuna with rice or paratha. 

Crab Masala Crispy Fry

Crab Masala Crispy Fry.....

Today the lady who works for me got me few land crabs (Gauti Crabs) available during the rainy season. They were medium in size. Since it is raining, I though why not fry it, instead of making curry... It goes well with steam hot rice and dal. 

For Cleaning the Crab....

Ingredients 

6 Medium whole Crabs

Salt to taste 

Boiled hot Water 

Method

Take boiled hot water, add salt. Deep the crabs in the water for 2 minutes. Remove it. Turn the crab and remove the soft shell. Crack open the crab from the centre.

For Marinating the Crab

Ingredients 

Crabs

Juice of 1 Lime

1 tbsp Garlic paste

1/2 tbsp Ginger paste

1/2 tbsp Chilli paste

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Curry powder

1 tsp Chilli powder 

Method

Take the crabs, add lime juice, salt, curry powder, chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste and chilli paste. Rub all the spices well into the crab and in between the cracked shell. Keep it for 30 minutes. 

For Frying the Crab

Ingredients 

Marinated Crabs

1/2 cup All Purpose flour

1/4 cup Fine Semolina 

3 tbsp Rice Flour

1/4 tsp Baking soda 

1/4 tsp Chilli Powder 

Salt to taste

Oil to fry 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add All Purpose flour, Semolina, Rice flour, salt, chilli powder and  Baking soda. Mix it well. Add little water at a time to make dropping consistency batter. Heat oil in a wok.  Take a crab, coat it well with the batter. Gently put the crab in the oil, fry on low medium heat till golden brown on both the sides. Serve it with lime and onions...