Traditional Kerala Mussels Curry with Coconut Milk
FineDiningIndian
November 20, 2013
This traditional mussels curry recipe is inspired by Kerala home-style cooking, combining fresh mussels with coconut oil, shallots, onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, green chillies, tomato and coconut milk.
The mussels are first lightly marinated with turmeric, chilli, coriander and fennel before being gently cooked in the aromatic curry base. Coconut milk is added towards the end, creating a rich but balanced sauce that carries the flavour of the spices without overpowering the seafood.
These curried mussels can be served traditionally with rice, tapioca or Indian breads, or presented with a more contemporary fine-dining style. It is a flavourful addition to Kerala seafood recipes, South Indian seafood recipes, Indian seafood recipes and authentic Indian recipes.
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Ingredients
Adjust Servings
| 500 g Fresh cleaned mussels | |
| ¼ tsp Turmeric powder | |
| ½ tsp Red chilli powder | |
| ½ tsp Coriander powder | |
| ½ tsp Fennel powder | |
| to taste Salt |
For the Curry
| 100 g Chopped tomato | |
| 2tbsp Coconut oil | |
| 1 pinch Asafoetida | |
| 1 pinch Fenugreek seeds | |
| ½ tsp Mustard seeds | |
| 4, halved Shallots / small onions | |
| 1 medium White onion chopped | |
| 10g Fresh ginger finely chopped | |
| 10G Garlic finely chopped | |
| 3Slit Green chillies | |
| 1-2sprigs Curry leaves | |
| ¼ tsp Chilli flakes | |
| ¾ tsp Coriander powder | |
| ¼ tsp Red chilli powder | |
| ½ tsp Fennel powder | |
| to taste Salt | |
| 150–250 ml Hot water | |
| 150 ml Coconut milk |
Nutritional Information
1200 Kcal
Calorie
112 g
Protein
56g
Carbohydrate
52g
Fat
12g
Fiber
Directions
1.
Clean & Prepare the Mussels
Clean the fresh mussels thoroughly.
The darker parts can be removed if preferred, although the recipe keeps them intact to help preserve the natural shape and size of the mussels.
Place the cleaned mussels in a bowl.
Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon fennel powder and salt.
Mix gently until the mussels are evenly coated and set aside while preparing the curry.
Mark as complete
2.
Start the Kerala Tempering
Heat coconut oil in a saucepan.
Add a pinch of asafoetida, a pinch of fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds.
Allow the mustard seeds to crackle.
This traditional tempering forms the aromatic base of the Kerala mussels curry.
Add the halved shallots together with the chopped ginger and garlic.
Sauté until the garlic becomes lightly golden and the shallots begin to soften.
Cooking them together helps the flavours develop evenly.
Mark as complete
3.
Add Curry Leaves and Green Chilli
Add the curry leaves and slit green chillies.
Stir briefly until aromatic.
Add the chopped white onion.
Sauté until translucent with a very light golden colour.
Add ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes for an additional layer of heat.
Mark as complete
4.
Add the Marinated Mussels
Add the marinated mussels to the saucepan.
Toss the pan gently rather than stirring aggressively, as cooked mussels can break easily.
Season with a little additional salt if required.
Add:
½–¾ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp fennel powder
Mix very carefully with a wooden spoon.
This second addition of spices strengthens the flavour of the mussels curry recipe while the earlier marinade seasons the mussels themselves.
Mark as complete
5.
Add Tomato
Add 100 g chopped tomato.
Cook for approximately 1 minute, stirring gently.
The tomato provides acidity and helps form the base of the curry sauce.
Pour in enough hot water to almost cover the mussels.
For a thicker curry, use less water. For a thinner curried mussels sauce, add slightly more.
Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for approximately 1 minute.
Mark as complete
6.
Add Coconut Milk
Pour in the coconut milk and gently mix.
Bring the curry back to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat.
Simmer uncovered until the sauce begins to thicken and coat the mussels.
This creates the creamy sauce characteristic of curry mussels with coconut milk.
Continue simmering gently until the sauce has reduced enough to become smooth and slightly thick.
Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
Avoid excessive stirring to keep the mussels intact.
Mark as complete
7.
Traditional Serving
Serve the Kerala seafood recipe hot with steamed rice, tapioca, appam, idiyappam or another preferred starch.
For the presentation shown in the video, arrange pieces of prepared tapioca on the plate.
Position the mussels around the tapioca and spoon the curry sauce over and around them.
Finish with a small sprinkle of chilli flakes and edible flowers for colour.
Mark as complete
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