Ari Kadukka / Kallummakka Nirachathu / Kadukka Nirachathu / Stuffed Mussels

Our very own exotic Malabar sea food!!! :)

Ingredients (Makes 6 pieces)

Kadukka / Kallumakka / Mussels: 6
Rice flour: 3/4 Cup
Grated Coconut: 1/4 Cup
Green Chilly: 2 - 3

Perum Jeerakam (Fennel Seeds/ Sweet Cumin): 1/4 Tea Spoon
Chuvannulli (Shallots): 5 - 6
Ginger: 1 Small Piece

Red Chilli Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Table Spoon
Oil: For Frying
Salt
Water

Total Cooking time: 1 hour
Method

Clean the Mussels well
Open it with a knife.  Do not open it complete. Don't separate them.

Grind together coconut, fennel seeds, shallots, green chilly, ginger and salt.
Add this to the rice flour and mix well
Pour boiling water to this and make it a thick dough

Allow it to cool
Take some dough and fill it inside the opened mussels and close it and tie it with a thread
Steam this for about 20 to 25 minutes

Mix red chilly powder, turmeric powder and a pinch of salt.  Add water and make it a paste.
Take out the cooked stuffed mussels from the steamer and allow it to cool
Once cooled well carefully remove the outer shell and marinate with the red chilly powder paste

Keep it aside for 10 to 20 minutes
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the stuffed mussels
Serve Hot

Note

You can see a black dirt in the bottom of the mussel.  Either you can cut that part off after steaming before marination or after frying.
After steaming allow the stuffed mussels to get cooled well.  Otherwise it will not come off from the shell properly.
Mussels are naturally slightly salty, so be careful while adding salt to you dish