Indian Recipes
Goan Warm Mussel Salad (Tisru)
Mussels steamed open, then tossed warm with toasted spices, coconut, ginger and lime in the Goan way: a starter or light lunch.
- Serves 4
- Prep 20 min
- Cook 15 min
- Indian
Method
Check the mussels and throw away any with broken shells or that stay open when tapped. Put them in a large pan with 4 tablespoons of water, cover and steam over a high heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan, until they have just opened. Tip into a colander set over a bowl to save the juices. Discard any that stay closed.
When cool enough to handle, take most of the mussels out of their shells, keeping a dozen in the shell for the top.
Heat the oil in a wide pan, add the mustard seeds and, when they pop, the curry leaves. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until soft, then the garlic, ginger and chilli for 2 minutes more.
Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and coconut and cook for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk and 4 tablespoons of the strained mussel juices and simmer until thick, about 2 minutes.
Add the shelled mussels and turn them in the spiced coconut for a minute just to warm through. Take off the heat, add the lime juice, coriander and salt to taste. Pile on to plates, top with the mussels in their shells and serve warm with lime wedges.
Tip: tap a step to tick it off as you cook.
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Chef’s notes
- Buy mussels on the day you cook them and keep them in the fridge under a damp cloth, not in water.
- Serve with bread or rice for a main course for 2.
How this recipe was developed
The old Cookeryonline page reproduced a published recipe, so we wrote a new one. We based it on Rick Stein’s mussel masala from his Indian travels and BBC Good Food’s Goan mussels, served warm as a salad.
- Steam first, then toss. Rick Stein steams the mussels briefly and then tosses them in a fried coconut masala; we shell most of them so it eats like a warm salad.
- Coconut and curry leaves. Grated coconut, curry leaves, ginger and green chilli are common to both versions.
- Coconut milk and lime. BBC Good Food’s Goan mussels (4.9/5 from 17 ratings) use coconut milk, coriander and lime wedges to finish.
Sources we compared (ratings as shown on each site on 31 October 2026):
- The Happy Foodie (Rick Stein): Mussel masala with coconut, ginger and green chillies
- BBC Good Food (Barney Desmazery): Goan mussels (4.9/5 from 17 ratings)
This is an original Cookeryonline recipe written in our own words. Ingredient choices and techniques are credited above; no source text has been copied.