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2/3/09

Indian Styled Mussels

Last week I was assisting a seafood class at Sur La Table. Unfortunately, there were hardly any leftovers after the students left. I was disappointed that I did not get to try any but the two dishes. That's when I decided to take matters into my own hands and prepare Indian Styled Mussles for Sunday dinner.



Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled, finely chopped
3 inch lemon grass piece bruised (just hit it with a knife a few times to let out the flavor)
spices: curry powder, coriander powder, cumin powder
1 can coconut milk
2 pounds mussels (make sure to scrub them and discard any of the ones that are open or broken) French Bread
cilantro, chopped

Directions
1. Heat oil in a deep skillet. Add garlic and ginger and cook until the aroma comes out.
2. Add lemon grass and the spices and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add a can of coconut milk, bring to a simmer, and add the mussels.
4. Cover the pan, let the mussels cook for about 5 minutes and then check to see if all of them have opened.
5. Once all the mussels are open, serve them in a bowl with the broth, cilantro and some French bread for dipping.



While at the store buying the groceries, I ran into Luke, one of the coordinators at Sur La Table, who recommended a bottle of Alice White Lexia. What a perfect accompaniment: sweet, light, and delicious.

19 comments:

Buster said...

Looks delicious! Thanks for the inspiration. I'm heading out to do some grocery shopping right now...

Unknown said...

I bet they were delicious! They look great. :)

Anonymous said...

I'll definitely have loads of bread with that delicious looking dip :P

Andrea said...

I love mussels, and if they're on the menu I always order them. I've never made them at home, though. Looks like it's time. Plus, I love the Indian flavors here!

pigpigscorner said...

Look so delicious! Love the spices and coconut added.

BlueToYou said...

i LOVE the little note on your chalk board :)

Naomi Devlin said...

Looks delicious! I'd mop my juices up with some baby spinach leaves.
x x x

Anonymous said...

These look fabulous, Olga!

Anonymous said...

I like this idea. I usually have mussels with spicy marinara sauce in Italian restaurants but this curry looks like it fits well too.

avesta said...

My son and I love mussels...will try this recipe out! YUM!

Heidi Leon Monges said...

Hi Olga,

I totally adore mussels and I'm such a big fan of Indian flavors.Mmmm, two of my favorite things together on a plate!! Yeah!.

Thanks,

Heidi

cmozilo said...

How much of each spice should I add?

Olga said...

Cori,
I usually never measure anything. Just put a few dashes of each. After you've cooked the spices with the coconut milk, give it a taste. You'll know if you'll need more heat, or curry powder or salt.

It all depends on your taste.

Thanks everyone for your comments!!!

gaga said...

Aww, I'm sorry you didn't get any food from the class, I'm sure yours tasted better anyway! All you need is some nice crusty bread to sop up that great broth!

Peter M said...

I'm a big fan of mussels and the curry & coconut milk works well. I see this in Thai cooking too.

Love the blackboard in the kitchen!

Joie de vivre said...

Olga,
This looks AMAZING! I'm bookmarking it as my 5 year old has recently fallen in love with mussels (um, he's a foodie's son, that's all I can say). I've just been steaming them in some wine and sauteed onions but this sounds lovely!

Kulsum said...

I don't really like mussels but this looks great. Makes me want to give another try!

Liren said...

Olga, this is my kind of meal! I love the flavors here!

Unknown said...

Olga I bet this would be great with light coconut milk too, I am adding this to my post in a few minutes!