Mussels Pickle |
Kallumaekay Achar |
Ingredients
| Mussels Cleaned Net. wt. | 500 gms |
| Green Chilly Chopped | 3nos |
| Ginger chopped | 1 ½ tbsp |
| Garlic flakes chopped | 8 nos |
| Chilly Powder | 3 tbsp |
| Turmeric Powder | ½ tsp |
| Pickle Powder | 1tbsp |
| Fenugreek Powder | 1 tsp |
| Hinge Powder | ½ tsp |
| Mustard seeds | 1 tsp |
| Fenugreek Seeds | ¼ tp |
| Lime juice | 2nos |
| Curry Leaf | 1 sprig |
| Vinegar | 1 glass |
| Sesame Oil [ for frying ] | 4 tbsp |
Method
- Keep the Mussels in a Sized round vessel and steam for 10 minutes, so that the mussels get cooked and the shells will open up. This is the easy way to take out Mussels from the shell.
- Clean the mussels , by taking od the `INK` with your hand and clean the back side by removing the black dirt. Wash again and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
- Now marinate the Mussels with little lime juice, salt, chilly powder, Fish masala powder, a pinch of fenugreek powder and Mustard powder. Smear these condiments on Mussels and salt. Keep aside.
- In the meantime keep ready the required other ingredients handy. Start frying the mussels in a Kadai with 180 ml of oil.
- The frying can be done in two batches till crispy. Take the Mussels from Kadai using a Jarni. And spread on a parchment paper.
- Use the same oil for making pickle. Add Mustard seeds and Fenugreek seeds, allow to crackle,then add chopped green chilly, garlic chopped and ginger chopped , sauté till cooked.
- Add chilly powder, pickle powder, fenugreek powder and mustard powder hinge powder and sauté well till the raw smell ceases. Add ½ cup Vinegar, ½ cup hot water check the tanginess, if you need you may add 1 juice of a lemon. Add Salt.
- Add the fried mussels and reduce the excess water by cooking for some more time. Your Mussel pickle will get thickened when kept for a few minutes . Before transferring into the bowl or bottle add 1 tbsp. of sesame oil `nd stir. That gives the glow on the pickle.
Chef Nandakumar Menon or ‘Chef Nandu as he is known evolved into the Super Chef series. He was at the CASINO HOTEL in Kochi and later at the remarkable COCONUT LAGOON in Kumarakom. Both iconic Hotels and restaurants of repute for the quality and consistency of food offered at their restaurants. Coconut Lagoon where Chef Nandu headed the kitchen moulded him to cater to international clientele from all over the world coming in to experience the magic of the backwaters of Kerala and Kerala itself as a unique destination.
From his early Catering Technology days at Adayar, Chennai and training at the famed TAJ MAHAL INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, Mumbai, Chef Nandu was back again at the Welcome Group’s ADAYAR PARK INN, Chennai.
Later he headed the setting up of the various F&B outlets of the ABAD PLAZA group, Kochi as its Corporate Chef.
And then with the Quilon Beach hotels, Chef Nandu created a redefined art of culinary expertise. His clientele were Doctors, Cashew businessmen and of course celebrities from the tinsel world, the cloyed connoisseurs had a different feel with his nouvelle cuisine.
He still loves to cook and share his valuable experience of the world of food with The Daily Brunch and its readers in our series on SUPER CHEFS.
Cheers!
