Crabs have always been messy, indulgent, luxurious and deeply tied to coastal memory. In Bengaluru, a city far from the sea yet loving coastal flavours, chefs are rethinking how the crustacean appears on the plate. What’s changing isn’t the love for crabs, but the way it is timed, dictated by seasonality, sourcing and availability. Chefs are also adopting sustainable practices by using parts of the crab which are traditionally discarded and produce large amounts of waste.
At The Konkan, Church Street, sustainability begins with knowing when not to serve crab. Chaitra, co-founder of the restaurant, says sourcing is guided by maturity and season rather than demand. “We source blue crabs from coastal Karnataka and mud crabs from Vishakhapatnam, but only once they reach around 300gm,” she says, adding, “That way, we’re choosing fully grown crabs and not disrupting the ecosystem.”
Seasonal fishing bans play a decisive role. The west coast typically observes a ban from June to July, while the east coast’s restrictions fall between April and June. “During the breeding season, large trawlers are prohibited from deep-sea fishing. When supply is limited and prices rise, we don’t force crab on the menu,” Chaitra explains. Instead, the restaurant shifts focus to meat dishes, allowing marine life, time to replenish.
Parika Coastal Village at HSR Layout operates similarly, sourcing crab exclusively from Malpe in southern Karnataka and working only with fresh catch. Head chef Rajendra M says, “Availability depends completely on the daily catch, which supports responsible harvesting.”
JW Marriott Hotel, Chef de Cuisine Raju Dorjee notes that diners are often inquisitive regarding crab offerings. “Many ask about origin and sustainability, which reinforces the need for transparency,” he shares.
Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel’s executive chef, Ho Chi Ming, agrees, “Many actively enquire about the sourcing of seafood and other ingredients. We make it a point to clearly communicate these practices to our guests.”
Waste to Wow
The Konkon’s most popular crab dishes – crab chilli and crab ghee roast remain close to tradition, relying on mildly spiced masalas that complement the crab’s natural sweetness. Innovation appears selectively, most notably in a butter garlic soft-shell crab, made using edible-shell crabs sourced from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. “They’re delicate, the shell is edible and they add something new without moving away from coastal flavours,” she says. Serving these crabs whole also helps minimise kitchen waste.
According to Ming, responsible sourcing is non-negotiable under the hotel’s seafood sustainability policy. This discipline still leaves room for creativity.
At R Bar, a more global expression of crab appears in its signature crab brulee. “This one’s an unexpected savoury reinterpretation of the French dessert. It’s not a traditional creme brulee. We use locally sourced crab meat, a parmesan crust, lump fish roe and a quattro formgaggi base,” Ming explains. Notably, in the kitchen, waste is addressed by repurposing shells into soups and sauces, extracting flavour long after the meat is used. “When boiled, the shells release deep, robust flavours that form an excellent foundation for broths and sauces,” says Ming.
In Mangaluru, crab is known as denji and Parika’s menu treats it with quiet reverence. “Crab ghee roast, crab sukka and denji curry are prepared using stone-ground masalas, coconut mylk, byadagi chillies and pure ghee. These dishes combine traditional coastal recipes with careful sourcing of fresh crabs, allowing the natural flavours to shine without over-processing,” Rajendra says.
In short, Bengaluru’s approach to crab is becoming more measure-defined, with timing and technique playing the key role in the food-scape.