Thai inspired coconut curry mussels are loaded with bold flavors of ginger, red curry paste and fresh herbs. The broth becomes creamy and flavorful and once you dip the mussel into the aromatic coconut curry broth, you won't be able to stop at just one!
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Inspired by some of my favorite Thai flavors, these coconut curry mussels are layered with intense flavors of ginger and garlic and a touch of fish sauce for added umami.
I could, whole heartedly devour the entire bowl and dare I say, these are the best coconut curry mussels ever! The sauce slightly thickens from the coconut milk and all of the savory and slightly sweet layers are finished with fresh and bright lime juice and cilantro. Truly a flavor explosion in every single bite! If you would like a loser sauce, add some ½ a cup of homemade seafood stock for a broth like sauce.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Layers of bold flavors! From the ginger, garlic, creamy coconut milk and bright fresh lime juice and herbs.
- Mussels are quick to prepare and cook in under 10 minutes!
- This one is for the seafood lovers! If you love recipes such as steamed clams with white wine or classic cioppino, you will love all the flavors in these steamed Thai mussels!
📋 Ingredients
This recipe would be fantastic with other seafood as well, such as clams or shrimp. Use the broth ingredients as a guideline and add more sweet or saltiness as preferred.
- Coconut Oil: This is used to saute the aromatics and works well with the coconut milk. Other options are a neutral oil such as avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
- Mussels: Look for fresh mussels without any cracks in the shell. Mussels should be cooked the same day they are bought and always kept cold. More on how to clean mussels below.
- Shallot, Garlic and Ginger: Aromatics to get the dish going. You could also substitute the shallot for red onion or sweet onion.
- Red Curry Paste: I took help from the store and used Thai Red Curry Paste which has great flavor. Green curry paste would work great too.
- Coconut Milk: For creaminess and richness. Use a full fat coconut milk, which will ultimately make for a creamier coconut curry broth.
- Fish Sauce: Just a few drops of fish sauce gives the entire dish a lovely savoriness and saltiness that goes so well with the other flavors.
- Brown Sugar: Or you could use palm sugar, but brown sugar is easily accessible and just a bit of sweetness, and again, layers so swell with the other savory and salty flavors.
- Fresh Herbs and Lime: Fresh cilantro and mint leaves are added as a finishing touch. Thai basil would be a great addition as well.
💦 How to Clean Mussels
Mussels take longer to clean then to cook, but it is very important to take the time to clean the mussels well. Once that's done, steaming the mussels is a breeze.
- Once you bring home the mussels from the store, remove them from the bag and place the mussels on top of ice in a large bowl and keep them cold in the refrigerator.
- When ready to cook, use a Shellfish scrubber or something similar and scrub each mussel under cold water.
- Each mussel has a "beard", which is how the mussel holds onto rocks in the water and needs to be removed before cooking. Use a towel and pull off each beard.
- Place the cleaned mussels in ice cold water until ready to cook.
- Discard any mussels with cracked or broken shells and mussels that don't open/close when tapped gently.
🥘 How to Make Coconut Curry Mussels
Once the mussels are all cleaned and you've gathered all your ingredients, everything else is pretty quick.
Mussels cook in less then 10 minutes, which makes them a perfect weeknight meal.
- Place a pot over medium heat and melt the coconut oil. Add the shallot and saute for 1-2 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in curry paste and pour in the coconut milk and stir everything together. Add the brown sugar and fish sauce and give the curry sauce one more stir.
- Add the cleaned mussels to the coconut curry broth and gently stir the mussels into the broth so they are coated with the sauce. Place a lid on the pot and cook until the mussels just open up, about 6-7 minutes.
- Once done, plate the coconut curry mussels into wide bowls and pour the broth on top and garnish with fresh herbs and lime.
Variations
- Spicy: Add a teaspoon of sriracha or sambal for added heat.
- Other Aromatics: Add a few pieces of lemongrass or kefir lime leaves for an additional citrus flavor. If using lemongrass, gently pound on the stalk to release the flavors.
- Other Proteins: Instead of mussels, substitute with shrimp or clams or even salmon and make a flavorful salmon curry.
📍Recipe Tip
- When soaking the mussels, add a teaspoon of flour or salt to the water. This will help the mussels spit out any sand or debris.
Once cleaned, mussels cook very quickly! Whether you are steaming mussels or boiling, mussels cook in about 6-7 minutes, just until the shells open up.
More Seafood Recipes to Try
Thai Coconut Curry Mussels
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mussels
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 medium sized shallot diced
- 2 large garlic cloves chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon grated or chopped ginger
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 13 ounce can of full fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves for garnish
- 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Place a pot over medium heat and melt the coconut oil.
- Add the chopped shallot and saute for 1-2 minutes to soften, then add the ginger and garlic and saute for another minute.
- Stir the curry paste into the oil and pour in the coconut milk and give the sauce a good stir. Add the brown sugar and fish sauce and give the curry sauce one more stir. This is a good time to taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Add the cleaned mussels to the coconut curry broth and gently stir the mussels into the broth so they are coated with the sauce. Place a lid on the pot and cook until the mussels just open up, about 6-7 minutes.
- Once done, plate the mussels into wide bowls and pour the broth on top.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and lime and serve immediately.
Sharon says
6T of red curry paste for double recipe is WAY too much. Overpowered the coconut milk, garlic and ginger. I even added an extra can of coconut milk. It was not bad but ingredients were off in my opinion.
Samantha Ferraro says
Thanks Sharon, we will adjust that. Have a wonderful New Year. Samantha.
Skylar says
We go to Little Ferraro Kitchen for the Mediterranean recipes but thought I should try something different. Dont get the "Lite" coconut milk, it seems its just watered dow a lot. We are waiting for her latest cookbook that we ordered yesterday. The first cookbook is Wonderful.
larry says
This dish was so delicious and was easy to make. The flavors were truly awesome. I will make this dish again and perhaps at time mix with clams and or shrimp.
Samantha says
Thank you so much Larry! Shrimp and clams would be fantastic!!