Indian Spiced Coconut Mussels
Photography by Aaron McLean.
When buying mussels, it pays to get more than you need as there will always be some that don’t open when cooked. Store the mussels in a bowl in the fridge under wet paper towels and use only those that are tightly closed.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
10 mussels per person
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon black or yellow mustard seeds
½ teaspoon each ground turmeric, ginger, garam masala and cumin
sea salt
1 large vine tomato, chopped
1 x 400 ml tin coconut cream
½ cup chopped coriander, use the leaves, stems and root
To serve
extra coriander
lime wedges
METHOD
Mussels: Scrub the mussels and pull off the beard. Put the oil, onion, garlic and mustard seeds in a large saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook gently until tender, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if the pan is too dry.
Add the spices and tomato and simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut cream and coriander, bring to the boil then add the mussels, turning to coat in the sauce. Cover and cook until the mussels have opened, discarding any that haven’t.
To serve: Divide the mussels into large serving bowls. Taste the sauce and season if needed. The mussels can sometimes be very salty. Spoon the sauce over the mussels and garnish with extra coriander and lime wedges.

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