Recipes: Mangalore Clams, Bengal Prawns

Ever had clams Mangalore style?

"This dish is easy to cook and pairs well with boiled rice porridge (kanjee) or with fish curry rice. It is one of the costal cuisine delicacies," Chef Vikram Pai tells Adrika Anand.

Pai, who runs the seafood restaurant Machali in Mangaluru, presents its recipe.

From Chandrima Sarkar, the Navi Mumbai-based food blogger behind Not Out of the Box, comes a Bengali recipe for prawns with greens.

"Kochupata Chingri or prawns with taro leaves (arbi or colocasia leaves) is one of the traditional Bengali dishes that I grew up eating," says Sarkar.

"I vividly remember how my mother would collect fresh taro leaves from the backyard of our Kolkata home to make this dish, especially during the monsoon when the leaves were abundant. The tender leaves would make this dish taste so much better.

"The subtle taste of fresh kochupata, combined with a freshly ground spice paste, creates layers of flavour, that are distinctly Bengali -- simple, without strong spices, yet incredibly hearty. This dish is nostalgic for me and always reminds me of home."

Mangalore Marvai Sukka or Clams Sukka
Recipe by Chef Vikram Pai

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 kg shimpli or tisrya or clams
• 1 cup freshly grated coconut
• 4 sprigs curry leaves
• 5 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp rai or mustard seeds
• 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder  
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• Salt to taste, about 1½ tsp
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro
• Water, if required

For the masala:

• 7-8 dried red chillies
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp brown dhania or coriander seeds
• 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• 4-5 lavang or cloves
• 1-inch piece dalcheeni or cinnamon
• 8-10 methi or fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp rai or mustard seeds
• 7 pods garlic
• 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder 

Method

• Fry all the masala ingredients in the coconut oil and grind into a thick paste.
  Keep aside.
• Steam the clams separately in a steamer.
  De-shell to remove the clam meat, rinse with fresh water to remove any sand.
  Keep aside.
• Now, roast the grated coconut with the cumin seeds, 2 sprigs of the curry leaves, turmeric powder in 2 tbsp coconut oil over low heat in a frying pan.
  Keep aside.
• Heat the remaining 3 tbsp coconut oil in a saucepan or a kadhai over medium heat.
  Add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle and then add the remaining 2 sprigs curry leaves, onions and sauté till the onion changes colour.
  Now add the chopped tomato and sauté for few minutes till tomato becomes soft.
  Add the clams, salt and the masala paste and mix.
  Cover and allow the clams to cook for 3-5 minutes over low heat.
  Add a little water (if needed) and cook covered for 5-7 minutes more.
  Once the masala is cooked, add the roasted grated coconut mixture.
  Mix well and cook covered for 2 minute mores.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice

Kochupata Chingri or Prawns with Taro Leaves
Recipe by Chandrima Sarkar

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 160 gm or 2 bunches kochu pata or fresh taro or colocassia leaves
• 200 gm fresh medium-sized prawns
• 3 tbsp khuskhus or poppy seeds paste
• 1½ tbsp rai or mustard seed paste
•  ⅓ cup freshly grated coconut
• 4 green chillies, cut in half lengthwise
• Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
• 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• ½ cup mustard oil + extra for garnish at the end
• ¼ tsp kalojire or kalonji or nigella seeds
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ cup water + extra ro cook the taro leaves

Method

For the spice pastes:

• Either prepare the poppy seed paste and the mustard paste separately for this recipe or make it together in a food processor.
• For the poppy seed paste, rinse 1½ tbsp poppy seeds under running water in a strainer and keep aside for a while.
  For the mustard seed paste, rinse ½ tbsp each of black and yellow mustard seeds under running water in a strainer and keep aside.
  In a mixer-grinder, combine the washed poppy seeds, mustard seeds, green chillies and a little water. Blend until a smooth paste forms, adding water as much is necessary.
  Add the grated coconut to the paste and mix again.
  Keep this spice paste aside for later use.
• You can also use store-bought mustard powder instead of mustard seed paste. If using mustard powder, follow the package instructions for dissolving.

For the taro leaves:

• Remove the stems from the fresh taro leaves and wash them thoroughly under running water.
  Stack the leaves together to form a roll, then cut the rolled leaves into thin strips. 
• Alternatively, you can chop them roughly, if you prefer. 
• Transfer the freshly chopped leaves to a deep-bottomed saucepan or kadhai, add some water, and cook over medium-low heat until coarsely soft and mushy.
  Take off heat, and transfer the cooked taro leaves to a bowl, keep aside.

For the prawns:

• In a bowl, mix the prawns with the turmeric powder, salt, keep aside.
• Heat ½ cup mustard oil in a frying pan/kadhai.
  Add the prawns and sauté for 2 minutes over medium heat and drain from the oil and keep aside.
• Temper the nigella seeds in the leftover oil -- about 2 tbsp of oil is required, so add some more if required.
  Then add the cooked taro leaves, remaining salt, remaining turmeric powder.
  Mix well and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  Next, add the spice pastes, mix well, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
  Add the sautéed prawns, water, mix well, cover, and cook for 15 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
  The gravy will thicken and the oil will float on top.
  Add the sugar towards the end of cooking and continue to cook uncovered for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  Take off heat and drizzle some mustard oil before serving.
• Serve hot with steamed rice.

• REDIFF FOOD