Your Local Scene: Honey, they shrunk the kankras from Sundarbans
Times of India | 15 July 2026
Crabs on the menu might not be new, but Sundarbans’s indigenous miniature chiti kankra is a rare treat. So when South Kolkata's Amar Khamar lunch room unveiled a tasting menu for the second edition of its Family Table last weekend – spotlighting the foraged estuarine crab that’s so small it fits on a teaspoon – CT had to be there.
What was on the menu
With four dishes on the menu, served alongside two varieties of rice from Bengal, the crunchy piscine-forward miniature crabs were the hero of every bite. Presented as a thaali, the meal opened with aromatic Tulaipanji siddho, tossed with black cumin and green chillies, accompanied by sautéed kolmi shaak with chiti kankra. This was followed by fragrant Kanakch ur aatap paired with yellow moong dal cooked with jackfruit seeds, alongside crispy fried tiny crabs. The meal found its umami depth in a dumur (fig) and chiti kankra-r jhol. A tangy tamarind and chiti kankra-r tok, served with rice papad, rounded off the savoury courses, before ending on a sweet note with fried mishti laid over a bed of kheer.
Bringing Sundarbans to Kolkata
Mother-daughter duo Aparna and Rekha Das were instrumental in bringing this dinner to life. Aparna is one of the foundational women rice farmers from the Sundarbans, while her youngest daughter Rekha is part of the lunch room’s kitchen team. “We wait all year for this treat. We add it to every dish, even shukto,” Aparna said with a laugh. Rekha said, “My thakuma used to cook chiti kankra for us, while my father & I’d go foraging by boat. I love that I got to give this humble ingredient a gourmet yet homely touch with Ma.”
From creeks to the plate
“Chiti kankra cannot be farmed – it must be foraged, with its availability closely tied to the lunar cycle,” explained Anindya Sundar Das, head of product for the brand. In the Sundarbans, these tiny crabs make their way into the creeks for a brief window a few days before and after every new moon, between April and July. “The real challenge, however, lies in scale: securing a catch large enough for even a two-day menu, and then transporting it post-cleaning and a light sauté, is a logistical feat in itself,” he added. The crabs were sourced from rice farmers in the mangrove region, with the menu drawing heavily from how locals traditionally enjoy this monsoon delicacy.