Kerala Mussels Roast / Kallummakkaya Varattiyathu

I first tasted kallummakkaya (Kerala mussels) while in engineering college, when my kannur friend brought "kallummakkaya nirachathu" which her mom made. It was really yum!! ..I can still get that taste in my mouth! I have never seen it in Cochin side...at times have heard my mom (she was raised in Calicut) sigh about the taste of this wonderful dish. I am happy to see these now a days in Dubai. I grabbed half a kg during the weekly shopping, but this time I wasn't lucky..the guy at the counter refused to clean it for me :) ...I hate the cleaning process...its a long and hard one, but the end product is worth all the effort that you put in.




Ingredients

Mussels / Kallummakkaya - 1/2 kg
Salt - as per taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Small onions - 8, crushed
Garlic - 4 pods, crushed
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp (as per your tolerance level)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Sliced coconut - 1/2 cup (optional)
Coconut oil -  as required

Method

Clean the mussels thoroughly (beware! cleaning mussles is a long painstaking process, so be prepared for it). Wash it under running water 2-3 times. Drain the water, and marinate the mussels with salt and turmeric powder. Let it rest for 20 min. Then cook the mussels in little water (less than half cup). Let all the water get evaporated (Don't cook the mussels for too long, as it will become rubbery). Remove it from stove.

  

   

                       

Crush the small onions and garlic using mortar and pestle. In a chatti or kadai, heat coconut oil. If using coconut slices, add it first. Saute for sometime till its cooked. Then add the crushed onions, garlic along with curry leaves. Saute till the raw smell goes. Add the chilly powder and saute for a minute. Now add the cooked mussels and mix well with the masala. Let it get cooked for approx 5 min. Sprinkle the powdered pepper, mix well and switch off the stove.