KHEKDYAACHE KAALVAN (MALVANI CRAB CURRY)

Khekda also called as Chimbori in Maharashtra, is called as Crab in English. Khekdyaache kaalvan means crab curry. Most of the vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes in Malvan region of Maharashtra are made using coconut and Malvani masala.

One such dish is Khekdyaache kaalvan. Here I have added an extra step wherein the crab shells are filled with a besan (chickpea flour) mixture and steamed in the gravy. Khekdaa or crab is one of the most popular seafood items with good reason. Besides being delicious, it also has a large number of health benefits. If you are a seafood fan and enjoy having a crab in your meals, do give this delicious crab curry a try!

And if you like fish a lot, do try the…… 1) Tisryaache Kaalvan or

2) Paapletaa Aambat

Here’s the recipe for Khekdyache Kaalvan….

Prep Time : 30 min

Cooking Time : 30 min

Serves : 4-5

INGREDIENTS :

• 5 Crabs

• 5 Crab shells (emptied after cleaning the crabs

For the coconut paste :

• 1 tbs Oil

• 1 1/2 cup Fresh grated coconut

• 1 Small Onion….thinly sliced

• 4 Bedgi dry red chillies

• 1 tsp Tamarind

For the filling to be stuffed in the crab shells :

• 1 1/2 Onion….. finely chopped

• 3/4 cup Besan (chickpea flour)

• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida

• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

• 3/4 tsp Red chilli powder

• 1 1/2 tsp Malvani mutton masala

• 2 tbs Corriander leaves

• Salt to taste

For the crab curry :

• 2 Onions…… finely chopped

• 4-5 Garlic cloves….. finely chopped

• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

• 3 tsp Malvani mutton masala

• 1 tsp Red chilli powder

• 1 tsp Garam Masala

• Salt to taste

• 1/4 cup Corriander leaves

P. N. Cup used – 200 ml

METHOD :

1. To make the khekdyache kaalvan, you need to clean the live crab and pry off it’s various parts. Pry of the shell, pulling from the back of the crab first.
2. Remove the gills and scoop out the guts inside the body of the crab. Now pry off the claws and the eight walking legs too.
3. Pry off the abdomen and rinse very well all edible parts under running water.
4. Grind the eight walking legs (the thin ones) in a mixer grinder adding very little water and pass it through a sieve to extract it’s juice and set aside. Discard the ground legs.
5. Now heat oil in a kadhai and add the sliced onions. Saute till translucent. Add the grated coconut to it and roast till little brown. Keep aside to cool. In the same kadhai heat some oil and roast the dry red chillies and keep aside.
6. To prepare the filling to be stuffed inside the crab shells, mix together all the mentioned ingredients using little water to make a thick paste and stuff it in the empty crab shells.
7. Heat oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onions to it along with the chopped garlic and saute till translucent.
8. Add all the spice powders except the garam masala. Mix well. Place the stuffed shells on the sauteed onions and add some water and the reserved crab legs extract for the besan to cook. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes.
9. Transfer the half cooked stuffed shells to another plate and add the cleaned crabs to the sauteed onions and mix well. Add sufficient water to cook the crabs and transfer the shells back on top of this mixture.
10. After a few minutes, flip the stuffed shells in the gravy and cook for about five minutes. This way the gravy will seep into the stuffing.
11. In the meantime, grind together the roasted ingredients and tamarind using water as required to make a smooth paste. Add this to the cooked crabs and mix well.
12. Add the garam masala and salt to taste. Add more water if required to bring the gravy to a medium consistency.
13. Bring to a boil and let simmer on slow flame for about six to seven minutes till well cooked. Add chopped fresh coriander leaves and mix.
14. Serve the Khekdyaache Kaalvan with hot steamed rice or some soft Bhaakari or Ghaavan and some Kokum Kadhi.

Note : If desired the step of grinding the walking legs and adding it’s juice to the gravy can be avoided, but it is a part of the traditional method.

Pictures depicting the process :

Cleaned crabs :

Stuffed crab shells :

Roasted coconut mixture :

Ground paste :

NOTE :

This is a healthy and delicious gravy. Do relish it with hot steamed rice and bhaakari or ghaavan accompanied by some sol kadhi by the side.