Spicy Mussels Masala

Read this recipe in Marathi
Servings : 3 to 4 Persons

Ingredients:
1 kg mussels (approx 40-50 shells)
1 medium onion, julienned
½ cup finely chopped onion
4 tbspn dry grated coconut
1 tbspn fresh grated coconut
whole spices( 3 cloves, 3-4 black peppercorns,1” cinamon stick,2 cardamom)
½ tspn black cumin seeds/ cumin seeds
1 tspn coriander seeds
1 ½ tspn red chilly powder
½ tspn turmeric powder
2-3 kokum
salt to taste
4 tbspn oil

Method:

1. Wash mussels and keep frozen for 2 hours. Take out them from defridge, shells will automatically open in ½ and hour.
2. While cleaning them, take out meat from one shell and keep one shell with meat. throw out all the empty shells.
3. Half quantity mussels clean like I mensioned above and in half quantity take only meat. Throw all empty shells.
4. In some shells if you find tiny crabs, throw them and take mussel meat.
5. Heat 1 tbspn of oil in a saucepan and stir onion till golden brown. Add whole spices, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and dry coconut. Stir till it turns brown and you smell a nice aroma. Then add fresh coconut and mix well. Grind everything to a fine paste. Add little warm water to make paste.

6. Heat remaining oil in saucepan and add chopped onion. Stir till translucent. Add half quantity of onion-coconut paste and then add mussels. Cover saucepan with a lid and boil for 5 minutes. Then add remaining onion-coconut paste and kokum. Mix well and boil for another 5 minutes.
7. Generally mussels found in deepsea so it is already salty. Add salt only if it is necessary.
8. Serve hot with rice or chapati. You can also serve kokum kadhi with it.