Steamed Mussels in Coconut Milk

evelyn/athens's Note:

Adapted from Savoring the Spice Coast of India: Fresh Flavors from Kerala by Maya Kaimal, and found at splendidtable.com.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 8 first-c ...

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 3 lbs fresh mussels or 3 lbs clams , scrubbed and debearded
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Ground masala

• 3 teaspoons coriander
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the onions and fry over medium-high heat until the edges turn light brown. Next add the ginger and continue frying for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Put in the ground masala and stir for another 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add the salt, coconut milk, and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Now put in the mussels, spooning some of the sauce over them. Cover and steam 7 minutes or until all the shells open. Remove from the heat. Discard any shells that aren't open.
3. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and cilantro and stir gently. Spoon the mussels into individual bowls along with some of the sauce. Serve immediately.

Reviews

[Beetlegurl]

This was excellent..I added in 2 tbsp. of tomato paste and a shallot, amazing..I ate the whole thing myself.

[Wu & Newt]

This is an excellent recipe. I had no cayenne, so I used ground pequin peppers. Yummy. Had with Chucumber (I used recipe #187803).

[The Codmother]

Brilliant ..... delicious .... need I say more ?? I added king prawns to the mix too and it's delightful. Should think it's nice with chicken as well. Although I substituted Cilantro for Corriander (if you like it)