Crab scares off most home cooks because of the cleaning. But if your crab arrives pre-cleaned, the hard part is done. Here's how to handle crab at home — plus classic nandu kuzhambu.
By Chennai Meats
Crab is one of the most rewarding seafoods to eat — and one of the most intimidating to cook. The cleaning puts most home cooks off entirely. But here's the secret: if your crab arrives pre-cleaned, the hard part is already done. Here's how to handle crab at home, plus the classic Chettinad nandu kuzhambu.
Hold the crab firmly and lift off the top shell (carapace) from the back. Inside you'll see the gills — the feathery "dead man's fingers." Pull these out and discard them; they're not edible.
Take out the small stomach sac near the mouth and rinse away any internal matter under running water. Twist off the mouth parts at the front.
Cut the body in half so the masala reaches the meat. Lightly crack the claws with the back of a knife — this lets the gravy soak in and makes eating easier.
Gutted, cleaned & top shell removed. Ready to cook.
The easy way: Chennai Meats crabs arrive gutted, cleaned, and with the top shell already removed. You skip steps 1 and 2 entirely — just halve, crack, and cook.
750g cleaned crab, 2 onions (finely chopped), 2 tomatoes, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 2 tbsp chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp fennel, a sprig of curry leaves, and freshly ground coconut paste (½ cup grated coconut with a little water).
Heat oil, add fennel and curry leaves, then sauté onions until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook off the raw smell. Add tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the spice powders and a splash of water, cook until oil separates. Add the crab and mix well to coat. Pour in about 2 cups water, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes. Stir in the coconut paste, simmer 5 more minutes, and finish with fresh coriander.
Both varieties, top shell removed, delivered by 7–11 AM. Free delivery across Chennai.
Crab cooks fast. In a curry, 15-20 minutes is plenty. The shell turns a deeper orange-red and the meat becomes opaque white. Overcooking makes the meat rubbery, so don't leave it simmering too long. Serve nandu kuzhambu with hot rice — and keep napkins handy.
