Fiji Coconut Crab Curry adds a Fiji-focused recipe to the Pacific Island Recipe archive, expanding the site beyond the larger Polynesian staples with food that reflects Fiji home kitchens and market ingredients. This version is written in an original, practical format from a source-backed recipe page while keeping the method easy to follow.

If you enjoy this style of Pacific cooking, you may also want to try Pacific recipe gallery.

Ingredients

8 large mud crabs, cleaned
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons masala
6 tablespoons oil
1 inch ginger
1 bulb garlic
Chillies to taste
2 brown onions
1 brown coconut, grated and milked
1 sprig curry leaves
3 tomatoes, diced
Tamarind pulp
Fresh coriander
Salt to taste

Instructions

Clean and split the crabs.
Make a paste with ginger, garlic, and chillies, and slice the onions.
Heat oil and toast cumin, mustard, fenugreek, and curry leaves.
Cook onions until golden, then add the ginger garlic chilli paste.
Add tomatoes, masala, and turmeric and cook until oil separates.
Add crab and stir until coated and beginning to redden.
Add coconut milk and tamarind, then simmer until cooked.
Season with salt and coriander.

Helpful Tips

Prep aromatics before heating the pan so the spice base does not burn.
Adjust chilli, salt, lemon, or tamarind near the end because Fiji-style recipes often depend on ingredient freshness.