Name: Coconut Curry Mussels
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 kg (2 lbs.) live mussels; 2 tbsp unsalted butter (see note); 1 tsp mustard seeds; 20 curry leaves; 4 shallots - finely chopped; 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste; 3 fresh green chilies - finely chopped; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 400ml thick coconut milk; 1 tbsp sugar or jaggery; 200ml double cream; A pinch of saffron; Salt and pepper to taste; 1 small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro) , finely chopped

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Really easy… Give these coconut curry mussels a try soon!

I love mussels and cook them all the time. This recipe coconut curry mussels is one of my favourites. I learned the recipe while visiting Kerala in southern India. It was so good, I couldn’t wait to try making them for my family back home.

How to prepare your live mussels…

When using fresh, live mussels for this coconut curry mussels recipe, it is important to clean them first.

Pour your mussels into a colander and get another bowl ready to place the mussels when cleaned. Farmed mussels attach themselves to ropes while they grow. If using farmed mussels which most are these days, you might find that there is a little of the rope still attached to them between the shells. Pull this off them and discard.

When you first pick up a mussel, it should close tightly. If it doesn’t, tap it a few times and if it doesn’t close, discard it as it’s dead. Wash the shell very well and then place it in the bowl. Do this with all your mussels. Cleaning a kilo (2 lbs.) of mussels will take you about 10 minutes.

Can you use frozen or vacuum sealed mussels instead of live?

Frozen and vacuum-sealed refrigerated mussels can be good alternatives to fresh mussels, though they do have some differences in flavour and texture. Personally, when cooking coconut curry mussels, I almost always go for fresh but you will find the pros and cons of using frozen, vacuum sealed and fresh mussels below:

Fresh Mussels

Pros: Fresh mussels have a clean, briny, slightly sweet flavour and tender texture. They are typically at their best when cooked simply and briefly (e.g., steamed or in a broth).
Cons: Fresh mussels require cleaning and must be used quickly (usually within a day or two of purchase). They also need to be inspected individually to ensure they are alive before cooking.

Frozen Mussels

Pros: Frozen mussels are often cooked and flash-frozen immediately after harvest, locking in much of their natural flavour. They’re convenient since they’re usually pre-cleaned and de-bearded. They work well in soups, pasta dishes, and casseroles.
Cons: The texture can be slightly softer or chewier than fresh mussels, especially after thawing and reheating. Frozen mussels may have a milder taste, missing some of the briny sweetness fresh mussels offer.

Vacuum-Sealed Refrigerated Mussels

Pros: Vacuum-sealed mussels are typically partially cooked, allowing them to retain a closer-to-fresh flavour and texture than frozen mussels. They often come pre-seasoned or marinated, making them flavourful and convenient to use directly in recipes or eat as-is.
Cons: They can sometimes be saltier due to added brine or seasonings. Since they’re partially cooked, cooking them further can lead to a tougher texture. They also have a shorter shelf life than frozen mussels, so timing is important.

How do you store live mussels.

This advice comes straight from my fishmonger and he’s a good one. If you purchase mussels, they often come in a net sack or often fishmongers will have them lose in a bowl and give them to you in a paper or plastic bag.

Pour these out into a colander and then place some wet news paper or wet paper napkins on top and put them in your fridge on a plate.

Fresh mussels should stay live for one to two days.

Is this coconut curry mussels recipe spicy?

This version of my recipe is quite mild. The only heat is from the fresh chillies you add.

That said, I also make a spicy version which includes more chillies and also 1 teaspoon or two of Kashmiri chilli powder. If you want your coconut curry mussels to be spicy, just add more chillies and/or chilli powder.

Working ahead…

You can do pretty much everything up to actually cooking the mussels ahead of time.

If working ahead of time suites your lifestyle, go for it. Add everything else to the pot and follow the instructions. Then just reheat it before adding the mussels.

You can also clean the mussels a few hours before cooking.

How to serve spicy mussels…

When I learned this recipe, I was served the spicy mussels with red rice or matta rice. Simple!

You can serve them in the sauce over Basmati rice or get some crusty bread and just dig in with your hands, dipping the bread in the sauce as you do.

Step by step photographs.

Ingredients for the recipe laid out on a countertop.

Get all you ingredients prepared and ready before you start cooking.

Infusing the mustard seeds and curry leaves into the melted butter.

Melt the butter in your pot over a medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds. When they bring to crack, stir in the curry leaves.

Add the chopped shallots and chillies and fry until soft which should take about 5 minutes. At this stage, you could also add the turmeric though I added it later in cooking this time around.

Adding garlic and ginger paste to the pot.

Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and let if fry for about 30 seconds to cook out the raw flavour.

Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.

Adding the mussels to the simmering sauce.

When it comes to a simmer, add the mussels and stir them in.

Cover the pot and let the mussels steam in the sauce for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice during the cook.

Adding the turmeric and saffron to the sauce.

Once the mussels have opened, add the turmeric to the coconut milk along with the saffron. Stir well to combine until the sauce is a vibrant yellow.

Pour in the cream and a handful of the chopped coriander (cilantro) and again stir to combine.

coconut curry mussels in a pot, ready to serve.

Look at that! Season with salt and pepper to taste. These coconut curry mussels are so good!

Coconut curry mussels ready to serve, garnished with chopped coriander.

Enjoy.

If you like this recipe for spicy mussels, you might also like to try some of these…

Easy prawn curry
Malabar fish curry
White fish curry
Keralan fish curry
Spicy fish curry with coconut

Yield: 4

Coconut Curry Mussels

This coconut curry mussels recipe is best with fresh mussels. They take some work to clean but it will be worth it. You can add more heat to this dish by adding more chopped chillies and/or chilli powder.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 kg (2 lbs.) live mussels
2 tbsp unsalted butter (see note)
1 tsp mustard seeds
20 curry leaves
4 shallots - finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
3 fresh green chilies - finely chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
400ml thick coconut milk
1 tbsp sugar or jaggery
200ml double cream
A pinch of saffron
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro) , finely chopped

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large pan that has a tight fitting lid over medium heat.
When the butter has melted, throw in the mustard seeds. when they begin to crackle, toss in the curry leaves and chopped shallots.
Fry until the shallots turn soft and translucent. This could take about 5 minutes.
Now add the chopped chillies, garlic and ginger and stir to combine for about 30 seconds.
Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Then pour in the mussels and cover with the lid to let them steam for about four minutes. Stir once or twice while they are steaming.
They are ready when the shells open.
Add the ground turmeric and the saffron by rubbing it between your fingers. Then add the cream and the jaggery or sugar. Stir well so that the sauce turns a vibrant yellow from the turmeric and saffron and the sugar has dissolved.
Try the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro).

Notes

When I tried this coconut curry mussels recipe in Kerala, the chef used coconut oil. This is very good. If you have some on hand, use it instead if you like.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 546Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 317mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 11g

Aaron

Saturday 12th of October 2024

Hi Curry Guy

I just made these and wanted to say thank you very much for the recipe. Served these up to four people and they pretty much licked the bowl clean.

I'm lucky to have access to super fresh mussels, curry leaves etc and it all combined really well. The little kick of sweetness from the sugar made such a surprising difference. I was cynical I admit but it amped the flavours up a lot.

What an amazing change from the traditional mussel broths. 100% will make again.

Thanks

Dan Toombs

Monday 14th of October 2024

Thanks so much. Glad you’re able to get hold of all the ingredients easily and enjoyed it. Dan

Catherine

Wednesday 11th of October 2023

Hi Dan, would love to make this but can’t get curry leaves anywhere. What would you suggest as a substitute? Thanks

Tuesday 17th of October 2023

There isn’t a substitute for curry leaves so just leave them out if you can’t get fresh ones. Definitely don’t compromise with dried ones as they are tasteless. Thanks Dan

Michelle

Friday 20th of April 2012

The Indian Mussels recipe sounds amazing and I've got two tins of coconut milk in the cupboard which I was going to use for Thai red curry but I think my red curry can wait. I'll put more chilies in my Indian mussels but other than that, I shan't change a thing.

Great to hear Michelle.

To be honest I use a lot more chillies. I just keep my recipes a bit milder so I don't get any complaints. I hope you like the mussels as much as I do. Be sure not to be a stranger and let me know.