Goan Clams (Tesri Sukhe)

By Sheridan 20 March, 2022

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).

Prep Time : 15-20 minutes
Cook Time : 12-15 minutes
Yield : 2

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)

Instructions

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.