CURRY CUMIN MUSSELS
Mussels, you either love them or you don’t! Or maybe you’ve never tried them and are hesitant to! My husband and I love them, and so much so that we had them at our wedding! But despite their benefits, a lot of people are not sure how to make them, and here’s something you should know, they’re easy to make! And it’s so easy, I’ll show you how with this delicious Indian style recipe.
But first, a little info on why mussels are great for your health! Mussels might be small but they pack a punch of nutrients! They are definitely a nutrient-dense food! They are high in protein, selenium and Vitamin A. Selenium is an essential mineral and eating foods high in selenium will assist in carrying out a range of functions such as controlling thyroid hormone levels and supporting muscle function. Vitamin A nourishes your eyes, skin and immune system, and since it’s coming from an animal source, it is the retinol form which is the form our bodies can utilize most efficiently.
Curry Cumin Mussels
Ingredients for 2-4 people:
- 3lbs mussels
- butter, coconut oil or avocado oil for sautéing
- 1-2 cups of broth
- 1 pack of coconut cream (50g) or half a can of coconut milk
- 1 cup store-bought tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes, chopped (optional)
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1/2 tablespoon of cumin seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon oregano
- 1/4 tablespoon ginger powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro, chopped to add as garnish
- Limes, halved to add as garnish
Directions:
- Wash your sink. Just before cooking, soak your mussels in fresh water for about 20 minutes. As the mussels breathe, they filter water and expel sand. After about 20 minutes, the mussels will have less salt and sand stored inside their shells.
- Look through the mussels and keep the mussels that are tightly closed. Discard any mussel that is chipped, broken, or damaged in any way. Also, discard any mussel that is open. The mussels should be tightly closed. ***If a mussel is open, you can gently tap it against the sink wall and put it down for a few minutes. A live mussel will close, and you can add it to the pile of “good” mussels. If after tapping the mussel, it doesn’t close, discard it.
- Most mussels have a beard. To remove the beard, hold the mussel in one hand and with the other hand, grasp the beard, give it a sharp yank toward the hinge end of the mussel.
- Take a 5-Litre pot. Sauté onions and garlic in butter, avocado oil or coconut oil. After about 5 minutes, when they are translucent, add spices and and stir it up to coat onions and garlic, about 1 minute. Then add broth, coconut cream and if you’re using tomatoes, add them too.
- Bring mixture up to a simmer, you need to have steam.
- Add mussels to pot and cover for 10 minutes to steam mussels.
- After 10 minutes stir the mussels and serve based on desired doneness. We always add another 3 minutes to cooking time as I prefer my mussels a little more on the well-done side.
- Enjoy!
*** OMIT Tomatoes to make this AIP compliant.
