Smita Chandra’s Malabar Mussels

Name: Smita Chandra's Malabar Mussels
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 2-4
Ingredients: 3 tbsp. canola oil; 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 2 small green Thai chiles or 1 serrano, thinly sliced; 1 (2") piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced; 2 tsp. Malabar masala; 3 plum tomatoes, chopped; 1 (14-oz.) can coconut milk; Kosher salt, to taste; 2 1 ⁄ 2 lb. mussels, debearded and scrubbed; 1 ⁄ 4 cup roughly chopped cilantro; Cooked white rice, for serving (optional); 1 ⁄ 2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Serves
serves 2-4

INGALLS PHOTOGRAPHY

Dishes from the south Indian state of Kerala, along the Malabar Coast, are heavily influenced by the area's abundant supply of seafood. In this Anglo-Indian recipe from cookbook author and cooking instructor Smita Chandra, mussels gathered from local waters are cooked with tomatoes in a richly spiced coconut broth. This recipe first appeared as part of the digital edition of our August/September 2014 special India issue.

Ingredients

3 tbsp. canola oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 small green Thai chiles or 1 serrano, thinly sliced
1 (2") piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp. Malabar masala
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 (14-oz.) can coconut milk
Kosher salt, to taste
2 ¹⁄₂ lb. mussels, debearded and scrubbed
¹⁄₄ cup roughly chopped cilantro
Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)
¹⁄₂ small red onion, thinly sliced

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Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic, chiles, ginger, and onion until golden, 4–6 minutes. Add masala and tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to break down, 5–7 minutes. Add coconut milk, salt, and 1⁄4 cup water; boil. Add mussels; cook covered, and occasionally shaking pan, until all mussels are opened, about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro; serve with rice, if you like.