Goan Clams (Tesri Sukhe)
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Sheridan Rogers
This lovely simple recipe is from the south- west Indian coast of Goa, renowned for its seafood, and is perfect as a starter or part of a shared late summer meal. The recipe is courtesy of “From India: Food, Family, Tradition” by Kumar and Suva Mahadevan (Murdoch Books 2013).
Ingredients
- vegetable oil 3 tablespoons
- garlic 2 teaspoons, crushed
- red onions 2, sliced into rings
- ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon
- Kashmiri chilli powder 1 teaspoon
- baby clams, soaked in water for 1 hour, then drained 1Kg
- kokam (or tamarind pulp) 2 pieces, soaked in 3 tablespoons water, or 2 teaspoons tamarind pulp
- grated coconut 70g (1/2 cup)
- coriander 1/2 bunch, leaves roughly chopped
- green chillies to garnish (optional)
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and lightly brown, then immediately add the onion, reserving a small handful to garnish, and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the turmeric and chilli powder and cook for 2 minutes. Add the clams, a pinch of salt, the kokam (or tamarind) and its soaking water, plus 1/2 cup water. Cook, covered, for 2-3 minutes until the clams open. Add the coconut and cook for 2-3 minutes, ensuring you do not brown the coconut. Add the coriander and chillies to garnish. Note: Kokam is a member of the mangosteen family and is used as a souring agent. The outer cover of the fruit is sun-dried and used in cooking adding a darkish purple colour and sour taste. The flavour profile is similar to tamarind.