Crabs from the clear streams, and the mud embankments of paddy fields were always popular, in addition to the supply of fresh sea crabs from the coasts of Malabar and Mangalore that made their way to the markets in Kodagu. This curry, full of extraordinary flavour, is best eaten with akki ottis or steamed white rice. Njende Curry (Crab Curry) full of sour-spicy flavours. Eaten with akki ottis (rice rotis), this curry is so good, it is usually polished off at one sitting.

Thank you for visiting this page. If you read something that you enjoy, or see an image that you like, please take a moment to write a response. Do look out for the recipes of all the food featured here in my upcoming cookbook.

Image Credits: Nithin Sagi
All Food Styling: Kaveri Ponnapa

ALL MATERIAL ON THIS WEBSITE IS COPYRIGHTED: If you wish to use any of tHIS material, KINDLY WRITE TO THE AUTHOR FOR PERMISSION.
Kaveri Ponnapa

Kaveri Ponnapa is an author and widely published independent writer on heritage, food and wine. She is the author of The Vanishing Kodavas, an acclaimed cultural study of the Kodava people, and a collection of Kodava poems, A Place Apart, Poems from Kodagu. Kaveri is an acknowledged authority on Kodava culture, history and food traditions.

    1. Kaveri Ponnapa says:

      Hi, do look out for my cookbook, coming sometime in the near future. That will have all the recipes. Best regards.Kaveri

  1. Nani Nanjappa says:

    U r doing a great job by writing about Coorg food. Very few people know about the diverse coorg food. Kudos to u. Keep writing. There is a need to preserve the recipes for the future. I have a suggestion. As we dont stay in Coorg, me and my friends used to check this website for local news, articles, etc about coorg, which seems to have stopped. You should write about more information about coorg. Thanks for the free email address. All the best!

    1. Kaveri Ponnapa says:

      Thank you so much, Nani, your feedback is much appreciated. Yes, I completely agree that it’s really important to preserve our recipes and food traditions, we have some of the best in the world, and so much variety. Do look out for more recipes and food stories which will be posted here, regularly, and please share them with your friends.

  2. Abhijit Saha says:

    Hi Kaveri!
    It is wonderful to see this initiative of yours to publish on the net, recipes from the region of Coorg. I have always found Coorg to be a fascinating destination and have enjoyed several home cooked meals during my visits to Coorg. The cuisine of Coorg is very exciting and based on long traditions, special local ingredients and spices giving it an unique flavour. Both your recipes of Pandi Curry and Njende Curry look great and i can’t wait to try them. Going by the detail and meticulousness with which you have presented the recipes, i am sure the readers will find it very easy to duplicate them at home. Will watch the space for more. Best wishes.

    1. Kaveri Ponnapa says:

      Abhijit,thank you so much for being here, it is hugely encouraging to read your observations I look forward to your comments,and to your presence on this page very much indeed! do let me know how the recipes turn out.

  3. Mrinal says:

    Thanks for the recipe. Crab is my favorite sea food .I have always eaten it at home, cooked in a mangalorean coconut based curry.
    This looks fantastic and I will let you know how it turns out

    1. Kaveri Ponnapa says:

      Mrinal, I would love to hear how it turned out in your kitchen. All the ingredients are easily available,if you can’t get kachampuli, you can just boil a few (2-3) dried kokum in the curry instead, it works really well.

  4. Andrew says:

    the recipe looks absolutely scrumptious ……..it looks really easy to make and we just cant wait to try it.

    1. Kaveri Ponnapa says:

      It is very easy to make, Andrew, and it gets eaten up just as easily. 🙂 So enjoy the crab, and share it with as many people you can – that’s what good food is for.

  5. Milind says:

    This weekend, I will personally enter the kitchen and cook it Kaveri.Will let you know after that! Anyway it seems awesome just going through the recipe.

    1. Kaveri Ponnapa says:

      Hello Milind, let me know how the crab curry turns out. Thanks for visiting this page, and do keep in touch for more from Coorg.

  6. Natarajan.k says:

    i love crab, nothing like cooking a fresh crab the way you want and eat the same. My mother never failed to cook our style of crab curry from Tanjore when I used to go home for vacation I badly miss those great moments. Today, when I read the recipe I remembered my Mother. I am going to cook the crab the way you described and I am sure it will be yummy. I will come back with feedback soon!!

    1. Kaveri Ponnapa says:

      Welcome, Chef, it’s a real honour to have you visit this page, thank you so much! Your feedback is most welcome, and most importantly, I do hope the curry is good enough to take you back in time, to past vacations in Tanjore.
      For anyone who visits this page, Chef Natarajan is one of the biggest repositories of rare recipes from the regional cuisines of the south, and an authority on the subject.

  7. bina rao says:

    Wow, I am happy to discover this recipe for cooking crabs. I was unable to get large crabs last week end. Shall try out this sunday and shall get back to you.
    I also wish to share your blog details with family and friends. Looking forward to more recipes from you.

    1. Kaveri Ponnapa says:

      Thanks very much, Bina. Good luck with the crab hunting, and I hope that you enjoy the curry. It would be great to know how it turns out. And yes, do share the recipes, that’s what good food is for – sharing!

  8. Vindhya Poovaiah says:

    Kaveri’s recipes have always been scrumptious yet easy to make. I love tangy flavors.So this will definitely make me euphoric.Crab happens to be my hubby’s favorite dish as well. My mava’s bday is nearing.I have already made plans to team this dish with some good Swiss white wine. kaveri, thanks for this minimalistic recipe. Here’s hoping for many more recipes to come. 🙂

    1. Kaveri Ponnapa says:

      Hello Vindhya, delighted that you will be trying out the crab, and the combination with wine sounds wonderful. 🙂 I hope it turns out perfect, and wish your Mava a very Happy Birthday from us!

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