Mussels are readily available along all of India’s coastline. This Goan mussels dish, xinaneao recheado, is a Portuguese-inspired recipe.
It is not particularly hot, although mussels are strong enough in flavour to bear a high level of spice. This recipe is balanced in flavours, with good contrast between the mussels and the spices.
The only ingredient you may find difficult to source is the masala or paste. Some local Indian grocers stock Goan food, and you may be able to get a jar of it. Our recipe for recheado masala is straightforward. It will be tangier and more intense than the commercially available preparations.
We usually serve this as a starter, but it could be served as a main course by increasing the quantities. Also, the recipe as presented here has the mussels removed from the shells, cooked, and then placed into half shells for presentation. It could well be prepared in whole shells, which would require a little more liquid added to the recipe and a slightly longer cooking time.
As a starter, we usually serve three mussels per person. Given there are four servings specified, you will notice that the recipe asks for two extra mussels. Every time I prepare mussels I find that one or two won’t open and must be discarded. I cannot stress how important it is to prepare the mussels as described to make sure you only have good mussels.
This dish would also make some great finger-food for an event.
You will notice a dinner roll in the photo above. This is pav – a feature of Goan cuisine. These bread rolls are another Portuguese legacy. They are common now across India and are the best accompaniment to this recipe.
A plate of spicy mussels with a bread roll to mop up the gravy. Delightful, and very Goan.
the recipe
about
equipment
- large pot
- wide pan with lid
ingredients
- 14 mussels
for cooking
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ red onion - finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 green chilli - finely chopped
- 2 tbsp recheado masala - see recipe
for serving
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves - coarsely chopped
instructions
to prepare mussels
- Wash mussels well.14 mussels
- Bring 2 litres (2 quarts) of water to a boil, then add the mussels. Within a few seconds, the mussel shells will start to open. Remove each opened mussel and set it aside. Discard any mussels that have not opened after a minute or so.
- Drain mussels well. Open the mussel shells and remove the beards from the mussels.
- Using one half of a shell, scoop out the mussel meat from the shell and set it aside. Retain enough half shells to serve all the mussels. Clean and wash these shells well.
to cook
- Heat the pan over medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the onions and sprinkle with the salt. Fry for eight minutes until the onions are soft and translucent but not coloured.2 tbsp vegetable oil, ½ red onion – finely chopped, ½ tsp salt
- Add the green chilli and recheado masala, mix well and fry for two minutes.1 green chilli – finely chopped, 2 tbsp recheado masala – see recipe
- Add the mussel meat and mix gently. Cover and cook for five minutes.
to serve
- Remove mussels from heat. Place one mussel in a half shell and cover with a little of the gravy.
- Garnish with coriander and serve.2 tbsp coriander leaves – coarsely chopped
notes
private notes
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