Name: Encocado de jaiba (Buenaventura crab and coconut stew)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 900 g pasteurized cooked picked crab meat, refrigerated; 4 medium ripe but firm plantains, about 800 g peeled, cut into 3 cm pieces; 500 g pastusa or other floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces; 960 ml unsweetened thick coconut milk, about 4 cups; 240 ml Colombian refrito, about 1 cup; 100 g green onion, thinly sliced; omit if already included in the refrito; 12 g garlic, about 4 cloves, minced; omit if already included in the refrito; 10 g cilantro cimarrón (culantro), finely chopped, divided; 15 ml achiote-infused or neutral oil; 6 g fine salt, or less if the crab and refrito are already salted; 1 g ground black pepper, or to taste; Hot water, as needed to loosen the coconut sauce; Cooked white rice, as needed; Lime wedges, optional

A rustic bowl of creamy coconut crab stew with potato, tomato, herbs and ripe plantain, served with white rice and golden patacones.

Region Pacific coast, Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Category Crab and plantain coconut stew, main course

Yield 8 main-course portions

Prep time 25 minutes

Soaking time None

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Encocado de jaiba (Buenaventura crab and coconut stew)

Picked crab simmers with coconut milk, ripe plantain, potato and Pacific herbs for a rich, gently sweet stew.

Encocado de jaiba is documented in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, on Colombia’s Pacific coast. The Colombian Ministry of Culture’s traditional-food inventory describes crab meat cooked in a refrito and coconut milk with ripe plantain and potato. A related Buenaventura recipe in the Gran Libro de la Cocina Colombiana uses whole jaibas, partly ripe plantains, pastusa potatoes, thick coconut milk and refrito. This version keeps that coconut, crab and plantain profile while using cooked, picked crab meat so the edible amount is clear and the dish is practical to prepare at home.

The regional sources do not establish one crab species for every version. Buy edible crab from a regulated seafood seller and check the package for species, storage and reheating directions. The recipe below uses pasteurized cooked crab meat; it avoids shell cracking at the table and makes eight portions easier to portion consistently. Whole crab is a regional preparation too, but the cooking time depends on the animal and supplier guidance.

Ripe but still firm plantain adds gentle sweetness and holds its shape beside floury potatoes. Thick coconut milk forms the sauce, while refrito, cilantro cimarrón and a little achiote oil bring savory depth and a green herbal finish. Stir the crab in near the end so it heats through without breaking into tiny shreds. Serve the stew hot with white rice; the rice is an accompaniment and is not included in the nutrition estimate.

Ingredients

Crab and coconut stew

900 g pasteurized cooked picked crab meat, refrigerated
4 medium ripe but firm plantains, about 800 g peeled, cut into 3 cm pieces
500 g pastusa or other floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces
960 ml unsweetened thick coconut milk, about 4 cups
240 ml Colombian refrito, about 1 cup
100 g green onion, thinly sliced; omit if already included in the refrito
12 g garlic, about 4 cloves, minced; omit if already included in the refrito
10 g cilantro cimarrón (culantro), finely chopped, divided
15 ml achiote-infused or neutral oil
6 g fine salt, or less if the crab and refrito are already salted
1 g ground black pepper, or to taste
Hot water, as needed to loosen the coconut sauce

To serve

Cooked white rice, as needed
Lime wedges, optional

Method

Prepare the ingredients Keep the crab refrigerated while you peel and cut the plantains and potatoes. If the crab is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator and drain it well. Check the package label for any preparation instructions. Slice the green onion, mince the garlic and chop the cilantro cimarrón; reserve a little cilantro for serving.
Soften the aromatics Heat the achiote oil in a heavy, wide pot over medium-low heat. Add the green onion and garlic, if they are not already in the refrito. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and softened without browning. Add the refrito and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring to combine.
Start the coconut sauce Pour in the coconut milk and stir until smooth. Add the plantain and potatoes, then season with the salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture just to a gentle simmer; avoid a hard boil, which can make a coconut sauce separate.
Cook the plantain and potato Cover the pot and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring carefully once or twice so the pieces do not break. The plantain and potato are ready when a fork slides into the centers easily. If the sauce becomes very thick before the vegetables are tender, add hot water a little at a time and return it to a gentle simmer.
Add the crab Fold in the cooked crab and most of the cilantro cimarrón. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, just until the crab is steaming throughout. Check the center of a larger piece with a clean food thermometer; it should reach at least 63°C. Avoid vigorous stirring, which can shred the crab.
Adjust the seasoning and sauce Taste the coconut sauce and add salt or pepper as needed, taking the crab’s and refrito’s salt into account. If the stew is too thick to ladle, loosen it with a splash of hot water. If it is thinner than you like, simmer uncovered for a few minutes, stirring gently.
Serve hot Divide the crab, plantain, potato and coconut sauce among 8 warm bowls. Serve with white rice and lime wedges if you like. Scatter the reserved cilantro cimarrón over the top just before eating.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates use generic composition proxies for cooked crab, ripe plantain, potato, full-fat coconut milk, refrito and the listed aromatics, divided into 8 portions. Crab species and product sodium, coconut-milk fat concentration, plantain size and refrito ingredients can change the result. This is an estimate, not a laboratory analysis.

Practical guidance

Choose and store the crab carefully: Buy pasteurized cooked crab from a regulated seafood seller, keep it cold and follow the package directions. Do not use crab of unknown origin or collect it yourself. Keep raw seafood and its packaging away from ready-to-eat food, and wash hands, utensils and work surfaces after handling. Use ripe but firm plantains: The plantains should be yellow with some dark spots but still firm enough to cut cleanly. Very soft fruit may dissolve during the simmer. Pastusa potatoes work well; another floury potato is a practical substitute if the cut size stays close to 3 cm. Keep the coconut sauce at a gentle simmer: Coconut milk can split if boiled hard. Use low heat, stir gently and add hot water if the vegetables need more time. A prepared refrito may already contain onion and garlic, so check its ingredients before adding the listed aromatics. Whole-crab variation: Buenaventura recipes also simmer cracked whole jaibas in coconut milk. Use only crabs sold for food, follow the seafood seller’s cleaning and cooking instructions, and do not transfer the picked-meat timing to a whole crab. The edible yield and safe cooking time vary by crab size and species. Allergens and diet: This dish contains crustacean shellfish (crab) and coconut. Check the crab, coconut milk and refrito labels for salt and cross-contact information. It is not vegetarian. White rice is an optional serving suggestion and is excluded from the nutrition estimate.

Final notes

Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is hotter than 32°C. Use within 3–4 days and reheat throughout to at least 74°C. Reheat gently with a splash of water so the coconut sauce loosens without boiling hard. Remember 1: Use legally sold, properly refrigerated crab and follow the supplier’s handling directions. Remember 2: Simmer gently and check that the crab is steaming throughout and reaches at least 63°C.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1/8 of the stew, excluding rice
Calories: 540 kcal
Carbohydrates: 57 g
Protein: 29 g
Fat: 24 g
Fibre: 6 g
Sodium: 920 mg

Encocado de jaiba (Buenaventura crab and coconut stew)

Ingredients

Crab and coconut stew

To serve

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Quebrao (Guapi salted-beef sancocho)

Arroz atollado con jaibas (Colombian crab and coconut rice)

Arroz atollado de almejas (Guapi clam and coconut rice)