Mussel meat stir fry or Marwai Sukka is an authentic seafood delicacy of the coastal city of Mangalore, in South India. A delicious spicy dish for meal times, where mussel meat is cooked in coconut base. A favorite among sea food lovers, goes exceptionally well with brown rice & yogurt.
What does ‘Sukka‘ mean?
Sukka in Tulu ( a language spoken in the coastal city of Mangalore and surrounding areas) means a semi dry gravy. It is also called ‘Ajadhina’ which means a semi-dry gravy as well.
What are the health benefits of eating mussels/clams?
Low calorie, protein rich seafood which packs a punch with its nutritional benefits of providing the body with necessary minerals and vitamins required for growth.Mussels/Clams are rich in iron and hence are a boon for those suffering from Iron deficiency anemias.It is a source of potassium and Omega 3 fatty acids and hence is heart healthy .
The Back Story
Food always stirs fond memories.
The ones I have shared amidst laughter and fun be it with friends or family.
Summer vacations as a kid meant visiting grand moms at our native, in Mangalore, a coastal village in the South of India.
This coastal belt of cities and villages is a sea food lovers paradise. and is always bursting with seafood, fresh off the boat literally.
We were treated to the most delicious seafood, during our summer holidays. Both my grand moms were exceptional cooks, who created magic in their kitchen.
A sprinkling of this and a little of that ……and Voila, we had the most delicious fish curries and sukka’s (dry or semi-dry gravies) for every meal.
We, the grandkids did complete justice to the food that was cooked, with love for us.
Why mussel meat sukka?
There is something to be said about the freshly caught fish, than the frozen ones we get in the markets here. The frozen will never match up, and that is a fact!
The mussel meat sukka was a particular favorite of mine.
Watching the rain pour outdoors, while we sat eating our“marwai sukka” /Mussel meat and hot porridge /ganji is a memory I will carry as long as I live.
Perhaps, it was digging the mussel meat off its shell, or the taste itself flavored with laughter from cousins around, I can’t tell , but I was smitten with this recipe.
The many benefits
For reasons we did not understand then, the emptied shells were scattered around the coconut palms around the home.We hopped around those shells while playing hide and seek.
I can still feel those little bumpy shells under my feet as we skipped along with joy around those trees lining the ancestral home.
It was years later, I found that these shells were used as manure for the trees as they were high in mineral content.
Later on, when we were students pursuing professional education, we would visit the sea side shacks, which were famous for authentic seafood.
Mussel meat and Crab sukka tickled our palates, as we gathered with friends for our regular weekend dinner.
The familiar taste and the sentiments attached to it, soaked all over us again.
With the right spices, you can create magic with seafood in your kitchen. Do you know which Indian spices to use in your cooking to create that flavor and aroma in your dish? Get my E-Book :A complete Beginner’s Guide to Indian Spices, where I write about the 25 essential Indian spices one needs to cook authentic Indian dishes, with colored pictures to help you in easy identification, how to use them in your cooking process, their health benefits and much more!
Click on the picture or the link below to get your copy now. You can get one for yourself or as a gift to someone you know who loves Indian cooking.
Shop Spicewalla’s Signature Blends
Mussel Meat Stir Fry/Sukka Recipe
Mussel Meat Stir Fry
How To Make Mussel Meat Stir Fry
4
servings10
minutes20
minutes266
kcal30
minutesIngredients
1 1 tray Mussel meat Each tray contains 40-50 frozen mussel meat
1 large 1 Onion finely chopped
3 3 -4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
Curry Leaves a few
3 3 -4 tbsp Coconut fresh or desiccated flakes
1 1/2 tsp 1 1/2 Chili powder
1/4 tsp 1/4 Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp 1 Black Pepper Powder
1 tsp 1 Garam Masala
Salt to taste
1 tbsp 1 Coconut Oil
Directions
- In a thick bottomed vessel warm the coconut oil, to this add the finely sliced garlic and saute a bit, when the aroma fills the air, add in the sliced onions along with a few curry leaves.
- Saute, till the onion becomes translucent & turns a golden brown. Now add the turmeric powder, chili powder, garam masala & black pepper powder and mix them well along with the garlic & onion mix
- Now add the cleaned mussel meat to the above mix along with salt to taste and let it cook in its own steam for 5-10 minutes.
- Do not overcook, as they turn rubbery, it should be just right, juicy and soft !When most of the water is evaporated, add in the coconut flakes, stir it gently and remove from flame & set aside.
- Serve it with pulao or a mildly spiced curry and brown rice.
List of my recipes using mussel/clams
Before we head to the recipes, if you are a beginner with seafood, you definitely need to check out my Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to seafood which will make cooking with seafood a breeze.
Do you know how to choose the right clams? How do you store and cook mussels? Read all about how to buy, store and cook mussels in my post here.
Looking to buy aromatic spices? Click the link below:
Shop Spicewalla’s Signature BlendsNow for the recipes,
- Mussel Meat Stir fry
- Mussel Meat Fry (North Malabar style)
- Stuffed Mussels/Arikadukka Kallumakai Nirachathu
- Mussel Meat Fry/Marwai Ajadhina ( Mangalorean style)
- Spicy Mussel Fry (Chinese Style)
- Marwai Sukka (Mangalorean style)
In a nutshell, here is my post on the amazing collection of mussel/clam recipes on my blog, for your interest. Enjoy!
The Bottom Line
Do you enjoy seafood? If you do, you can savor it anytime throughout the year, not just in winter.I hope you give my Mussel Meat Stir Fry/ Sukka recipe a try? You can thank me later 😉 Its packed with proteins and is super delicious!
Please share your feedback in the comments section below.
Very interesting article, and it does sound good. While I like some spice, I am not one that can tolerate real spicy dishes. Some restaurants indicate in their menus whether the dish is mild, medium, spicy, hot, etc. How would you rate this recipe? I didn’t give it a star rating since I haven’t tired the recipe.
Thank you.You can adjust the spice level to your preference. This would be medium spice, if I had to rate it, but again I am used to spicy food, if you are new to spicy food then reduce the level of spices by half.Do share your feedback, when you get a chance to try the recipe.