Snack time with Malabari “Arikkadukka” (Fried Stuffed Mussels)

This Malabar snack is always on tourist’s top-travel-eat-list whenever they visit Malabar coasts. So much of enthusiasm is filled in this small snack. Especially for Mussel lovers. Here are some easy ways to make Arikkadukka”, don’t forget to serve with it lots of love.

Ingredients

• Fresh Mussels, in shells- 15
• For making Rice dough
• Rice flour- 2½ cups
• Coconut, grated- ¾ cup
• Small onions or pearl onions, chopped- 4
• Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
• Ginger, chopped- 1-inch slice
• Green chillies, chopped- 2
• Curry leaves- 10 leaves
• Fennel powder- 1 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1½ tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Water- enough to make a soft dough
• For making masala paste
• Kashmiri red chilli powder- 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
• Garam masala- ¾ tsp
• Salt- a few pinches
• Water- 3 to 4 tbsp
• Other ingredients
• Oil- enough for deep frying

Instructions

• First clean the shells under running water, place them in a saucepan filled with water and boil them till the shells are opened. Discard the shells that are not open.
• Remove the mussels from the shell and stuffed them with rice dough.
• In a blender, coarsely grind coconut, small onions, cumin seeds, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, fennel powder and coriander powder along with ¼ cup water.
• In a large bowl, combine rice flour and salt. Add the ground coconut and knead the flour by adding hot water little by little. Knead into a soft dough and keep aside.
• If you use mussels in the shell that’s been steam cooked and opened- stuff a handful of rice dough into the shells.
• If you use mussels in half shells- Remove the mussels from the half shell, cover the mussels with the rice dough, make sure the mussels are not fully inside the dough.
• Place the stuffed mussels onto the half shells.
• Steam cook the stuffed mussels for 5 minutes-
• After steam cooking the mussels, let them cool down completely.
• Open the shells completely and remove the mussels stuffed with rice dough out of the shells. The mussels will be stuck onto the rice dough.
• Heat oil for deep frying in a frying pan.
• In a small bowl, combine Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder, Garam masala, salt along with 3 tbsp water to a paste.
• When the oil turns hot, dip each steam cooked and stuffed mussel in the masala paste and coat.
• Place it in the oil and deep fry till it turns golden brown in colour.

Transfer all into a kitchen paper towel and let it absorb the excess oil to stay healthy.