Clam Meat Masala / Marwai Masala Recipe

Back in Mangalore clams (marwai) is made with its shell. We make sukka, curry, or a breakfast specialty called marwai da pundi. Loosely translated, clams with rice dumplings. There’s this online place I sometimes order my meat and seafood from and has never let me down (freshtohome). Since it’s monsoons I don’t buy fish but I wanted see what else they had. Clams were in. But just the clam meat and no shell. I looked it up online and most Kerala based recipes call for only the meat. That’s how they do it there, I suppose. There were people coming over for lunch the next day so I ordered in a kilo of the meat. Once it arrived I thought it was a lot. But it was just enough.

The best thing about seafood is that it cooks really quickly. Clams do too. I intended for a ghee roast dish but the spice base was too hot. Had to quickly turn it into a ‘masala’ dish by adding onions. I served it with neer dosa but it goes great with rice as a side dish.

Ingredients:

Clam meat – 1 kg

Coconut oil – 3 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Onions – 2 large, pureed

Salt to taste

For the ground masala:

Dried chillies – 20 (I used a mix of gundu and Kashmiri)

Cumin – 2 tsp

Coriander seeds – 2 tsp

Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp

Garlic – 6-7 large cloves

Tamarind extract – 2 tsp

Method:

Wash the clam meat multiple times till there’s no longer any milky/cloudy water.

Dry roast the chillies and whole spices.

Grind it with the garlic and tamarind extract with a splash of water.

Heat coconut oil and add the curry leaves. Let them splutter. Keep aside.

In the same pan, add the pureed onions and cook till it changes colour.

Add the spice mix and 1/2 cup water. Cook this down till it reduces and becomes thick. About 10 minutes.

Toss the clams in and mix well. Add salt.

Let this cook for 10-12 minutes.

Add the curry leaves back in.

Serve with rice or dosa.