About this Dish
Sri Lanka's most luxurious dish — whole mud crabs cooked in a fierce coconut milk curry with roasted spices and curry leaves. The crab must be fresh and the coconut milk freshly pressed. Eaten with bare hands, the process of cracking shells and extracting the curry-soaked meat is messy, communal and deeply satisfying.
IngredientsServes 2
🦀Live mud crabs, 2 large (about 800g–1kg each), cleaned and halved
🥥Fresh coconut milk, 400ml thick first press + 200ml thin second press
🧅Red onion, 1 large, finely sliced
🧄Garlic, 6 cloves, crushed
🫚Fresh ginger, a 4cm piece, grated
🌿Fresh curry leaves, 3 sprigs
🌶️Green chillies, 3, slit lengthways
🟤Sri Lankan roasted curry powder, 2 heaped tbsp
🧡Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
🍋Pandan leaf, 1 strip (about 10cm), tied in a knot
Method
1
Kill the crabs humanely by piercing the underside, then clean them thoroughly — remove the gills and apron, rinse under cold water, and chop each crab into 4 pieces, keeping the claws whole. Crack the claws lightly with the back of a heavy knife so the curry can get inside.2
Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large, wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the curry leaves, pandan leaf, and green chillies and let them spit and sizzle for about 30 seconds until fragrant.3
Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring so nothing burns on the bottom.4
Add the roasted curry powder and turmeric, stir everything together well, and cook the spices in the oil for 2 minutes — the pot should smell incredible and the mixture should look quite dark and paste-like.5
Pour in the thin coconut milk first, stir to combine, then nestle all the crab pieces into the pot. Bring to a vigorous boil, then reduce to a steady simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 12 minutes, turning the crab pieces once halfway through.6
Pour in the thick coconut milk, stir gently, and season generously with salt. Simmer uncovered for a further 5–8 minutes until the curry thickens slightly and the crab shells have turned a deep orange-red.7
Taste the curry and adjust salt — it should be rich, spicy, and slightly sweet from the coconut. Serve immediately in the pot at the table with steamed red rice or string hoppers, newspapers spread down, and plenty of napkins — eating with your hands is non-negotiable.User Reviews
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