“Kubbe Ambat Bimbul ghalnu (Clams/ Tisrya Curry with Tree Sorrel Fruit)” … another fish curry with addition of bimbul before I finish off my stock … it does take the taste of dishes totally to another level making it that much more scrumptious … a delicious shellfish curry from GSB Konkani Saraswat Cuisine that tastes best served with ukde sheetHa (red boiled rice) … Yummilicious …
** There are many types of shellfish found worldwide, these are known as Kubbo (konkani) Cockles/ Clams/ Marwai (in Tulu native language of South Kanana)/ Teesriya (Marathi) or in any other name as per region. Though these are healthy and do turn delicious when cooked in curries, it is a little bit tedious to clean. Again, inside the shell is just a little bit of flesh portion making it that much lesser in need in case of large families. These are available in plenty in coastal side especially in my hometown Mangalore and around, however it was cooked rarely and I do not have much childhood memories of savoring the same. Same is the case after marriage, so I hardly prepare this except when I find large one’s or when my fish vendor persuades me to do so.
** I always liked sukka masala dish prepared using kubbo and always stuck to preparing the same. It is only after I joined food groups and started being innovative in cooking style that I tried them out as ambat, hummana etc. Sharing ambat prepared using them which turns out awesome with delectable taste of onion seasoning and tastes that much more tastier served with ukde sheetHa (red boiled Kerala matta rice). Clams are nutritional powerhouses packed with essential vitamins and minerals, a seafood that is full of protein, good for proper functioning of body being the building blocks needed for muscle growth and repairs. There is lot of information about do’s and don’ts on preparing and cooking proper way of clams in net which you can browse through and read too.
** If you like fish and have not given a try to shellfish, then do so but with caution, see to it that they are bought from proper sources, cleaned well as they contain plenty of sand and cook properly to make it fit for consumption. Clams contain two shells equal in sized stuck together that need to be first separated. Then washed in plenty of water to remove dirt etc. within. When opened you will notice that flesh portion within sticks to one of the shell only, so many a times one chip is separated and discarded before cooking (Optional) which cuts down on unnecessary bulk. However, one advice I would like to give is eat just a few until assured it suits to your health to avoid stomach issues. Do try out recipes shared in the Blog and enjoy them with your family and friends in your home.
** Here is my recipe for “Kubbe Ambat Bimbul ghalnu (Clams/ Tisrya Curry with Tree Sorrel Fruit)” … my style ….
** Ingredients :
Kubbo/ Clams/ Marvai/ Teesrya : 25-30 medium sized
Bimbul/ Tree Sorrel Fruit/ Bimbli : 4 large sized.
Meeta/ Salt/ Namak : to taste
** For the Masala to be Ground :
Soyi/ Coconut/ Nariyal : 1 cup freshly grated
Kottambari/ Coriander seeds/ Kottimbir/ Dhania : 2 tsp
Kumte Mirsanga/ Byadgi Mirchi/ Kashmiri Red Chilly : 8-10
Oil/ Tel/ Tela : 1 tsp
** For Seasoning/ Tempering/ Tadka/ Pannaka :
Piyavu/ Kanda/ Onion : 1 large
Oil/ Tel/ Tela : 3-4 tsp
** You will need about 3-4 cups or 25-30 large sized Kubbe/ shell fish/ clams for this curry. Clean kubbe/ clams in plenty of water. There is always sand in these and are tedious to clean. There are 3 ways of opening the kubbe/ clams.
** The First Method is to cut open clams with a sharp knife. You have to be careful in doing it as you may hurt yourself if not aware of handling it properly. You can watch some You tube demo for help you understand exact method of preparing the clams. Retain the shell in which the flesh is stuck and discard the other one.
** Now the Second Method is the easier one. Just put all of the whole kubbe/ clams in a broad vessel after washing well and add 1-2 cups of water. Put it on heat, the minute the water starts to get hot and before reaching boiling point the shells crack up. Immediately remove it from fire and allow to cool properly. When able to handle the shells remove the empty shell and discard them. Do not throw away the water in which the kubbe/ clams were cooked. Pass it through a fine sieve or cloth (I use cloth) to strain off the sand particles if any. This cooked water can be used while grinding the masala and also if necessary to add to the cooking curry. Just do not add more water while cooking the shells or else the water will go waste as we do not need much of it. One cup for 3-4 cups of shell fish is more than enough. Just rinse the retained shells and use it in cooking. Simple.
** The Third and the Easiest and Best of all Methods Which I discovered accidently and that which I follow now. This is the method I follow now as it is very easy without any hazels the only hitch being you will need time of say about 24 hours. Just wash the kubbe / clams / shell fish in plenty of water. Drain off all excess water and put them in a thick plastic / polythene and fold over tightly. Put this in deep freezer over night or for a day. Remove the frozen shell fish and put them in a wide dish and pour room temperature water to the vessel to brim level. Cover and keep it aside for an hour. When you check later on you will find that all the shells would have opened up by themselves. Wash in plenty of water taking care to see that you rinse off all the sand that is within the shells. You may retain it or remove off one shell that is empty and use them. Rest method as per the requirement of the recipe. This I came about accidentally recently, when i stored it freezer and put it into vessel as said above. When opened I saw that the shells has opened up well.
** Wash bimbul/ tree sorrel fruit, slice off both edge side portion and then cut them into roundels of about ½ inch in size, say each into 2-3 or more pieces depending upon the size of bimbul. Do not cut them too thin in size. Peel the outer skin of onion/ piyavu and chop it very finely. Keep them ready aside separately.
** For the Masala to be Ground : Heat oil in a small pan and add in the coriander seeds and fry on medium heat until it turns light brown, now add red chillies, fry for a minute and remove from fire. Add coconut and the fried ingredients into a mixer grinder and grind to a very fine paste adding water as much as required only.
** Note : I have added bimbul (bimbli/ tree sorrel fruit) for tart taste to the curry, however if you cannot find it in your vicinity you can always add any tart flavored ingredients like ambado (hogplum), karmbala (starfruit), dried kokum or kudumpuli or even raw mango pieces. In case you want to avoid all these or they are also not available do not worry, just add a small marble sized piece of tamarind while grinding the masala.
** Add the ground masala into a wide cooking stainless steel vessel along with required amount of water to bring to a thick gravy consistency. Bring to a boil on medium heat, add the prepared and kept bimbul pieces, salt to taste and mix well. Now add in the prepared and kept kubbo/ clams, mix well, check out the gravy consistency adding more if required and bring all together to a boil for 2-3 minutes after which lower the heat to minimum and let simmer while we prepare the seasoning for the curry.
** For Tempering/ Seasoning/ Tadka/ Pannaka : Heat oil in a small pan. Add in the finely chopped onions and fry on medium heat stirring often till evenly browned. Remove, pour over the simmering curry and mix well. Let the curry simmer for another 2-3 minutes and then remove from heat and keep it aside covered for about 15-20 minutes for flavors to get infused well. Check thickness of curry before serving and if you find it too thick add in some hot water, mix well and it ready for serving.
** “Kubbe Ambat Bimbul ghalnu (Clams/ Tisrya Curry with Tree Sorrel Fruit)” is done and ready to be served. Tastes best with ukde sheetHa (red boiled rice)/ steamed rice along with some bhaji for accompaniment. In Saraswat homes we always prefer rice for lunch however you can serve it with mildly spiced rice dishes like pulav/ ghee rice too or if you prefer roti/ chapati/ parathas you can serve it with them in which case remember to keep the curry slightly thicker in texture and it tastes great.
** Fish is a good source of protein and shellfish is good source of lean protein. This protein is easy to digest when compared to other foods not to mention the other health benefits like omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, copper, iron and vitamin B12, besides plenty of other nutrients. It is believed to help support a healthy immune system, off course if you are having any health ailments then it is best to consult your Doctor/ Nutritionist/ Dietitian if it is safe to consume if you are trying them out for the first time.
** For more “Fish Curry” recipes, sharing a common link below, do browse through them, try it out and enjoy with family and friends ….
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