Mussel Masala with Coconut, Ginger and Green Chillies
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This sumptuous mussel masala recipe from Rick Stein's best-selling Fish & Shellfish cookbook is a real treat for seafood lovers. Combining soft, delicate mussels with fragrant Indian spices, it offers an unusual twist on a shellfish curry. Simple to prepare, this is a perfect dinner party dish.
From the book
Introduction
This dish is based on a clam masala from the Keralan Backwaters of southern India, but I’ve used mussels instead as they’re easier to get hold of.
Ingredients
1.5kg | mussels, cleaned |
30ml | coconut oil |
1 tsp | black mustard seeds |
50g | fresh or frozen coconut, grated or blitzed in a food processor |
1 | small onion, finely chopped |
6cm | fresh ginger, finely grated |
4 | garlic cloves, finely crushed |
2 | green chillies, seeds removed, thinly sliced |
1 | handful of fresh curry leaves |
1 tsp | fennel seeds |
1 tsp | ground black pepper |
1 tsp | Garam Masala |
1/2 tsp | Kashmiri chilli powder |
1/2 tsp | turmeric powder |
1 tsp | salt |
Method
See Rick’s brilliant video tutorial on how to clean and prepare mussels for cooking:
Put a splash of water into a large saucepan, add the mussels, cover with a lid and cook over a high heat, shaking the pan every now and again until all the mussels have opened and are cooked: 3–4 minutes.
Heat the coconut oil in a large sturdy pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and fry for 30 seconds until they start to pop, then stir in the coconut and fry for 1 minute.
Add the onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves and fry for a further 5 minutes.
Add the mussels and their liquor to the pan, followed by the fennel seeds, black pepper, garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Cook for a further 1–2 minutes, then serve.