Saturday, 21 January 2012

197) NILIYE KHOLU VERSION ‘A’


NILIYÉ KHOLU VERSION ‘A’
A KONKANI CHILI MUSSEL CURRY
SIMPLE VERSION



Ingredients:

     1)    Fresh mussels – if small, 250 to 300 Nos. – If big, 150 Nos. – If extra-large, 75 Nos.

     2)    Hot red chili powder – 1½ teaspoons
     3)    Kashmiri chili powder – 1 tablespoon
     4)    Asafoetida powder – ¼ teaspoon
     5)    Coconut oil – 2 tablespoons
     6)    Mature cucumber tree fruit – 4 Nos. OR tomato – 200 gm. OR tamarind – an olive sized bit
     7)    Salt – 1½ teaspoons

To Prepare:

          Soak the mussels in a solution of 5 litres of water and 30 ml. of vinegar. This will help get rid of 90 % of the sticky dirt on the shells. Wash well in 2 or 3 changes of clear water. Drain and put the mussels into a pressure cooker. Close the lid without putting the weight on the steam vent. There is no need to add any water. You can also use a steamer in place of the pressure cooker.

          Set on high heat. As soon as the steam comes out (the mussels will leech out the water), lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Switch off the heat and open the lid. The mussels will have opened now. Use a shell to pry out the flesh. Pluck off the hairs and the dark portion (dirt) at the base.


          Some people remove only the hairs, leaving the dark portion. Wash, drain and set aside.

          Cut off the tips of the cucumber tree fruit and chop each fruit to 6 to 8 pieces. If you are using tomatoes, remove the peel and the seeds and grind the flesh to fine paste and set aside. If you are using tamarind, soak it in 50 ml. of water for 10 minutes. Squeeze it with your fingers. Sieve and set aside the juice.


To Cook (for those who are using cucumber tree fruit or tomato):

          Set a pan or vessel on high heat. Pour in the coconut oil. Tip in the chopped cucumber tree fruit (I have used cucumber tree fruit [Bimbul or Bilimbi] in this recipe) or the tomato paste. Stir for 2 minutes and tip in both the chili powders and the asafoetida powder. Stir once and chuck in the mussels. Pour in enough water to immerse the mussels. Tip in the salt. As soon as the curry comes to a boil, turn down the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if required. Switch off the heat and cover with a lid. Let the curry rest for at least 30 minutes.

To Cook (for those who are using tamarind):

          Set a pan or vessel on high heat. Pour in the coconut oil. Tip in the chili powder. Stir once and quickly chuck in the mussels. Pour in the tamarind juice and add enough water to immerse the mussels. Tip in the salt. As soon as it comes to a boil, turn down the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt or chili powder if required. Now tip in the asafoetida powder. Stir well and switch off the heat. Cover with a lid and let the curry rest for at least 30 minutes.

          Serve niliyé kholu either hot or cold with a large heap of soft parboiled rice or with hot putte (see my recipe).

Enjoy!!!


Notes:

     1)    If you use fresh mussel flesh (uncooked flesh scooped out from the shells) in place of the cooked flesh which I have used in this recipe (it is no easy task to scoop out 250 to 300 mussels), the niliyé kholu will be tastier many fold. This method can be adopted when you are using large or extra-large mussels. Take care not to cut yourself while taking out the flesh from live mussels. You can do this by inserting the tip of a small knife between the two halves of the shell on the flatter side, push down on the handle, twist the blade and pry the mussel open. Use the rounded edge of a shell to scoop out the flesh. Clean the hair and the dirt, then wash, drain and put it into the curry vessel after you have put in the chili powder and the asafoetida powder. Remember to cook for 5 minutes more (a total of 10 minutes once the curry comes to a boil) to get an exceedingly nutritious, tasty, sweet and flavorsome niliyé kholu.

     2)    If you are making large quantities of niliyé kholu, you can store it in glass jars under refrigeration for up to a week.

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