Is there anything more delicious than Mussel fry? I doubt it. If I ever compete in mussel eating competition, it would be better for other contestants to back off…

Not just mussels, almost all edible shellfishes are delicious and I am a die-hard fan of shellfishes. Growing up in Kerala, where fishes are the prime food, I had enjoyed almost all fishes and shellfishes that too catch of the day. When the season for mussels arrives, all you can see is mussels piled up in fish markets. I had eaten mussels until I got tired of it, but it wasn’t that easy for me to get tired of mussels or any other shellfish. I can go on and on until I am broke: P

Many delicious dishes can be made using mussels, among them mussel fry is my all time favorite. During mussel season, whenever I visited my grandparents, my grandma used to have mussel fry ready for me. She made the best mussel fry I’ve ever tasted. The speed with which the mussel fry got emptied from the platter is always faster than light. The other day, when I spoke to one of my cousins she was actually devouring mussel fry while talking to me and that kind of stirred up my craving for mussel. The very next day mussel fry was ready on the platter. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find huge fleshy mussels, I got small ones instead. Even though I prefer fleshy ones, for the time being these small ones helped me to subside my craving.

Nutritional facts about Mussels:

  • Mussels are low in sodium and saturated fat.
  • Mussels provide a readily absorbed source of B & C vitamins, amino acids, Omega 3 fatty acids, and vital minerals including iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc.
  • Mussel meat are rich in protein, has less fat, many more mineral nutrients and a quarter of the calories of beef.

What more do we need to include mussels blindly into our diet?

Mussel Fry:

Ingredients:

  • Mussels, removed from the shell, cleaned in running water- 20


 For Marination:

  • Chilly powder- 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder- 2 pinches
  • Ground pepper- 1/4 tsp
  • Salt- to taste
  • Oil- for frying

Preparation:

  • Combine the cleaned mussels with the above marinating ingredients and let stand for 15 minutes or longer.


  • In a frying pan, heat the oil for frying and put the mussels into the oil, fry until golden brown color.

  • Avoid frying the mussels to a crispy texture, it tastes good if it is less crispy.
  • Transfer the fried mussels to a paper towel.
  • I warn you, you really can’t wait till the mussel fry cools down, at least I cannot. Now what? Dig in:P

Tips:

  • Adjust the spice level according to your needs.
  • This would make a fancy appetizer for any parties, serve the mussel fry on the shell( which is cleaned) itself.