Clams Sukka or Marwai Sukka is a popular seafood delicacy from the coastal city of Mangalore where clams are cooked in a spicy coconut masala. Marwai means clams in Tulu.(local language spoken in Mangalore) Sukka is all time favourite of most Mangaloreans be it Chicken Sukka, Mutton Sukka or Tendli Chana Sukka. This recipe of clams calls for cooking the clams in its shell which makes the dish very flavourful. Clams Sukka is best paired with plain rice and dal or tomato saar.
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What is Clams
Clams is a type of shellfish found in oceans, lakes and river. Clams have two shells of equal size. Clams are a good source of iron and can be cooked with or without shells. Cooking with shells imparts a nice flavour to the dish.
Clams Sukka
Clams Sukka or Muarwai Sukka as it is known in Tulu is a traditional way of cooking clams amongst Mangaloreans. Clams are cooked in a spicy coconut masala. This makes for a good side dish dal and rice or dal and tomato saar.
List of ingredients to make Clams Sukka
Clams
Spices : dried red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds,
Herbs and veggies : curry leaves, garlic, onions, tomato, coriander leaves
Coconut
Salt and oil
Step-wise recipe with pictures
Wash the clams. Break the clams into two and keep only the part with flesh in it. Discard the other shell. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add dry red chillies and roast for few seconds. Remove and keep aside.
Next, roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves and cinnamon till they turn aromatic. Remove and keep them alongwith the roasted red chillies.
Now, roast grated coconut with 2 sprigs of curry leaves till it gives out a nice aroma. Keep aside.
Transfer the roasted spices and red chillies to a mixer jar. Add 3 cloves of garlic, 1 chopped onion, turmeric powder, 3 to 4 tbsp water and blend them to a fine paste. Keep the ground masala aside.
In the same jar blend the roasted coconut by running the mixer just for a second so that we get a coarse coconut mixture. Keep this aside.
Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, 2 sprigs of curry leaves, 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, 1 chopped onion and saute till the onion changes its colour. Now, add chopped tomato. Saute for few minutes till the tomato turns soft.
Now, add the clams. Give a mix. Add salt as per taste. Cover the pan and allow the clams to cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Next, add the ground masala and mix. Add little water and cook covered for 5 to 7 minutes.
Once the masala is cooked, add the ground coconut. Mix well and cook covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve clams sukka alongwith rice and dal.
Recipe Card
Clams Sukka | Marwai Sukka | Khubbe Sukke
Ingredients
- 1 kg clams (shell fish/ Shimpli / tisrya )
- 7 to 8 dried red chillies (sookhi laal mirch)
- 3 tsp oil (tel)
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds (dhaniya)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 4 to 5 cloves (laung/lavang)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon (dalchini)
- 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds (methi)
- 1 cup fresh grated coconut (nariyal)
- 4 sprigs of curry leaves (kadi patta)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds (rai /sarson)
- 7 cloves of garlic (lehsun)
- 2 onions, finely chopped (pyaaz)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 tomato, finely chopped (tamatar)
- Salt as per taste (namak)
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped (hara dhaniya)
Instructions
- Wash the clams.Break the clams into two and keep only the part with flesh in it. Discard the other shell.
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan.
- Add dry red chillies and roast for few seconds.
- Remove and keep aside.
- Next, add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves and cinnamon.
- Roast the spices till they turn aromatic.
- Remove and keep them alongwith the roasted red chillies.
- Now, in the same pan add 1 cup of grated coconut and 2 sprigs of curry leaves.
- Roast the coconut till it turns aromatic. Keep this aside.
- Now, transfer the roasted spices and red chillies to a mixer jar.
- Add 3 cloves of garlic, 1 chopped onion, turmeric powder, 3 to 4 tbsp water and blend them to a fine paste.
- Remove the ground masala from the jar and keep aside.
- To the same jar, add the roasted coconut and run the mixer just for a second so that we get a coarse coconut mixture. Keep this aside.
- Next, heat 2 tsp oil in a pan.
- Add mustard seeds, 2 sprigs of curry leaves, 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, 1 chopped onion and saute till the onion changes its colour.
- Now, add chopped tomato
- Saute for few minutes till the tomato turns soft.
- Now, add the clams. Give a mix.
- Add salt as per taste.
- Cover the pan and allow the clams to cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Next, add the masala paste and mix.
- Add little water and cook covered for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Once the masala is cooked, add the ground coconut.
- Mix well and cook covered for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve clams sukka alongwith rice and dal.
Notes
- I have used a mix of Bedgi and Pandi Chillies.
- Clams weighed 1 kg with both shells intact. After discarding one part of the shellfish, the net weight of clams was 500 grams.
More Mangalorean Seafood recipes
Mangalorean fish curry
Prawns Sukka
Surmai Tawa Masala
Surmai Fry
