Here is a dish much beloved by my husband and children. Medium-sized clams may be substituted for the mussels. You may serve this as a first course, as the main course, or as a light lunch with a salad. Indians eat this curry with rice, but you may serve the mussels by themselves in individual bowls.

　　

Ingredients

serves 2¿4

　　2 pounds medium-sized mussels

　　2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　1/2 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds

　　1 good-sized onion (about 6 ounces), finely chopped

　　1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　1 teaspoon crushed garlic

　　1 3/4 cups coconut milk, from a well-shaken can

　　2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　3/4 teaspoon salt

　　15 fresh curry leaves or 10 fresh basil leaves, crushed in the palm of your hand

　　4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

　　2 fresh hot green chilies (bird’s-eye is ideal), partially slit

　　1 tablespoon lemon juice

　　

Step 1

Scrub the mussels well with a brush, discarding those that remain open even after they are tapped. Pull off any stringy beards.

　　

Step 2

Put the oil in a large pot and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds start to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the onions and turn the heat down to medium. Stir and cook 4–5 minutes or until the onions have softened. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir for a minute. Now add the coconut milk, 1 cup water, the cumin, cayenne, salt, curry leaves, cilantro, green chilies, and lemon juice. Stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, uncovered, stirring now and then, for 5 minutes. (This much can be done ahead of time.) Add all the mussels and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Cover and cook rapidly for 5 minutes or until all the mussels have opened (discard any that stay closed).

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.