🦀 Sundays Smell Like This
If you’ve ever walked into a kitchen on the Konkan coast on a Sunday afternoon,
you know the smell — roasted spices, coconut oil, the faint metallic whiff of shellfish, and smoke.
Crab Masala Curry isn’t a weeknight dinner.
It’s what the family waits for.
It’s the dish that brings silence to the table.
Because everyone’s too busy digging into claws to talk.
This isn’t fast food. It’s slow-cooked satisfaction with spice under the fingernails.
🛒 What You’ll Need (Serves 3–4):
500g crab, cleaned and cracked
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp oil (preferably coconut or groundnut)
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili powder
1½ tsp garam masala or Malvani masala
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander for garnish
For Roasted Masala Paste (blend together):
1 tbsp dry coconut (or desiccated)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1–2 dried red chilies
3–4 peppercorns
1 small cinnamon stick
2–3 cloves
Dry roast everything till aromatic. Cool, then grind to a coarse paste with a little water.
🔥 How to Cook the Curry That Slows Down Time
1. Sear the Flavors
Heat oil. Add onions. Sauté till golden. Add ginger-garlic paste. Cook till fragrant. Add tomatoes. Let them melt.
2. Add the Heat
Add turmeric, red chili powder, salt, and the roasted masala paste. Cook on low till oil separates and color deepens.
3. Bring in the Crab
Add the cleaned crab pieces. Stir well to coat in masala. Cover and let it simmer for 5–7 minutes.
4. Curry Up
Add a cup of water (or more if you want a thinner curry). Simmer covered till crab is cooked — around 10–15 mins.
Sprinkle garam masala or Malvani masala. Garnish with coriander.
❤️ Why This Curry Is Worth Getting Your Hands Dirty
Because you have to eat it with your fingers
Because the masala gets into every crack of the shell
Because it makes you slow down, slurp, and savor
Because this is what Sundays were made for
The Pinch of Masala 