Jaffna crab curry is the crab curry of the Tamil north of Sri Lanka, known in Tamil as nandu kulambu (நண்டு குழம்பு; nandu is crab). Crab pieces are cooked in a red, fiery gravy built on Jaffna curry powder, sharpened with tamarind and finished with coconut milk and a handful of murunga (moringa) leaves. It is one of the dishes the Jaffna peninsula is best known for, and it is now cooked and served all over the island.
It differs from the island-wide Sri Lankan crab curry (kakuluwo) mainly in its spice blend and its sourness: the northern curry takes its heat and colour from the chilli-rich Jaffna powder and its tang from tamarind, where the other style uses roasted curry powder, goraka or lime and a roasted rice paste. The crab, the cooking times and the way it is eaten are the same.
How to make Jaffna crab curry
- Serves 4
- Prep: 25 minutes
- Cook: 40 minutes
- Difficulty: Moderate
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg fresh mud crabs (about 4), cleaned, cut into quarters, claws cracked
- 1 tbsp tamarind pulp, soaked in 125 ml hot water
- 3 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 large red onion, or 10 shallots, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2.5 cm piece ginger, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, slit lengthways
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 3 tbsp Jaffna curry powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 250 ml water
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 1 large handful murunga (moringa) leaves, picked from the stalks
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Method
- Prepare the crabs. Remove the top shell and the feathery gills, rinse the crabs well and cut each body into quarters. Crack the claws with the back of a heavy knife. Squeeze the soaked tamarind and strain the liquid, discarding the seeds and fibre.
- Temper the seeds. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pan or clay pot over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and, when they start to pop, the fennel seeds and curry leaves. Fry for about 30 seconds.
- Cook the onion. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden. Add the garlic, ginger and green chillies and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add tomato and spices. Stir in the tomato and cook for about 3 minutes, until soft. Lower the heat, add the Jaffna curry powder, turmeric and salt and stir for 1 minute, taking care that the powder does not burn.
- Cook the crab. Add the crab and the water, turn the pieces to coat them in the masala, then cover and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, turning once.
- Add tamarind and coconut milk. Pour in the tamarind water and the coconut milk and simmer uncovered on a low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the crab now and then, until the shells are bright orange and the gravy is thick and red.
- Add the greens. Stir in the murunga leaves and cook for 2 minutes, until they wilt.
- Finish. Stir in the lime juice, taste for salt and sourness, then rest the curry off the heat for 5 minutes before serving.
What is Jaffna curry powder?
Jaffna curry powder is the roasted spice blend of the north. Like the southern roasted curry powder, it is made from coriander, cumin, fennel, Ceylon black pepper and other spices dry-roasted before grinding, but it also contains a large share of dried red chillies. That is why this recipe needs no extra chilli powder, and why the gravy turns a deep red. Blends vary in heat, so start with 2 tablespoons if yours is very hot.
Why murunga leaves and tamarind?
Murunga is the drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera), a common garden tree across Sri Lanka, including the north. Its small leaves wilt quickly into the gravy and add a mild, slightly bitter, peppery taste that balances the sweetness of the crab. Tamarind is the usual souring agent in Jaffna seafood curries; some families use only lime juice with crab for a lighter, brighter gravy. If you cannot find murunga leaves, leave them out.
Which crab should you use?
Mud crabs, caught in the shallow lagoons of the north, are the traditional choice for their dense, sweet meat. Blue swimmer crabs also work and cook in the same time. Buy crabs alive or very fresh and cook them the same day. If you buy them live, chilling them in the freezer for about an hour before cleaning makes them easier to handle.
What do you serve it with?
In Jaffna homes it is eaten with plain rice or with pittu, the steamed rice-flour and coconut cylinders popular in the north, and a coconut sambol. String hoppers, thosai or bread are good for soaking up the gravy. Eat it with your fingers, with finger bowls and a plate for the shells.
Where can you try it?
Jaffna town has the strongest tradition, but northern-style crab curry is also on menus in Colombo and elsewhere. If your trip takes in the east coast, the seafood restaurants of Trincomalee and Nilaveli, near Pigeon Island, are another good place to look for crab.
How do you store it?
Like any crab curry it is best eaten the day it is made. Cool leftovers quickly, cover and refrigerate, then eat within 1 day, reheating gently until piping hot. It does not freeze well, as the crab meat turns watery and stringy.
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