Indian Curry Mussels With Coconut Milk

Indian curry mussels in a coconut milk sauce, spicy, fragrant & delicious, a real gastronomic treat that cooks in well under 15 minutes!

Cooking shellfish really is not that intimidating, and this recipe will have you knocking out this recipe like a boss in no time at all.

Indian Shellfish Curry

I love this recipe! The simple and stripped-back curry flavours are mellowed with coconut milk. They match perfectly with the rich taste of the sea that you get from shellfish.

Curry is often thought of as a big flavour, and of course, it is. But with sensitive handling, it can work really well with fish and seafood.

I have both a Thai salmon curry, as well as a Thai red mussel curry and a much more delicate Indian-influenced sea bass curry, a bolder king prawn balti, and canned tuna curry as well as fantastic salmon tikka!

This dish uses fragrant spices and a little bit of heat to create a gentle curry that allows the mussels to shine.

I'll not go into any detail on the preparation of mussels here, as I cover it comprehensively in this steamed mussels recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make This Recipe with Precooked Mussels?

Yes, you can! I have been experimenting with this in recent months after getting hooked on mussels after finding a fresh supply.

Fresh raw mussels are definitely better, to my mind, but you can use both frozen or chilled mussels here

Neither of them needs cooking because they already are cooked. As a result, they just need to be brought to temperature. So make the 'broth' first, adding 2-3 times more water and then throw in the mussels, then add a lid.

Refrigerated mussels will take around 3-4 minutes to come to temperature over a medium-high heat.

Frozen mussels will take maybe 8-10 minutes. I would start these over a high heat initially for 2-3 minutes, then reduce to medium-high.

Can I make this in advance?

No, not really, because the mussels will become inedible and chewy!

Can I use low-fat coconut milk?

I personally wouldn't low low-fat coconut milk is coconut with extra water, which means that it is coconut milk with less coconut milk!

Serving Suggestions

This dish needs nothing more than some nice bread to mop up the coconut milk rich broth after you have finished picking through the curried mussels.

As tempting as it is to suggest naan bread, which does work, I think that you actually want something that is a little fluffier.

Personally, I often choose a soda bread, even with the Indian slant to this meal.

Although a side helping of fries, and they must be thin and crisp, salty French fries would not go amiss.

I use the same technique as I do to cook my chippy chips, but I reduce the cooking time by half in the initial phase.

It would work equally well with my straw potatoes!

If you happen to dust them with garam masala when they come out of the pan, then even better!

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/Stovetop.
• Wok, I use a large carbon steel wok. Improvise the largest lid that you have.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Grater.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Stirring and serving spoons.