Ingredients
| 1kg fresh mussels, scrubbed | |
| 50g butter or 3 tablespoons olive oil | |
| 1 onion, finely chopped | |
| 2 medium floury potatoes, peeled, chopped into 3cm cubes | |
| 1 medium celeriac (about 500g), peeled, cut into 2cm cubes | |
| 3cm piece ginger, grated | |
| 2 cloves garlic, chopped | |
| 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped | |
| 6 stalks curry leaves, stalks discarded | |
| 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, ground (or 1 teaspoon pre-ground coriander) | |
| 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground | |
| ½ teaspoon ground turmeric | |
| ½ teaspoon salt | |
| 500g cauliflower, cut into small florets | |
| 200g smoked mussels, chopped | |
| 1 tablespoon lemon juice | |
| 100ml cream (optional) | |
| 4 tablespoons plain oil, for frying | |
| 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds | |
| 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds | |
| naan bread, to serve |
Who doesn’t love a thick, creamy chowder in winter? Here I have really upped the vegetables with celeriac and cauliflower to make a smooth, velvety soup that needs a lot less cream. If you wanted to make this purely plant-based, you could omit the mussels and cream and add 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika with the other spices and perhaps a can of chickpeas or beans for protein.
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Instructions
| 1. | Bring 1 cup of water to the boil in a large pot. |
| 2. | Add the mussels, cover and cook for 3 minutes. |
| 3. | Remove all the open mussels. If any are unopened move them around a bit, cover for another minute or two then remove. Discard any that remain unopened. |
| 4. | Strain the liquid into a measuring jug and top up with water to get 1½ litres. |
| 5. | Cool the mussels a little then remove from their shells, cut in half and set aside. |
| 6. | Heat the butter or oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion with a sprinkle of salt for 5 minutes. |
| 7. | Add the potato, celeriac, ginger, garlic, chilli and half the curry leaves and fry for 1 minute. |
| 8. | Add the coriander, cumin and turmeric and fry for another minute. |
| 9. | Add the measured liquid and salt and bring to the boil. |
| 10. | Add the cauliflower and cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. |
| 11. | Blend to a smooth soup with a stick blender (or cool slightly and transfer to a food processor or blender). |
| 12. | Return to the pot and stir in the mussels, smoked mussels, lemon juice and cream (if using) and warm through. |
| 13. | Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the remaining curry leaves and cook for about 30 seconds, watching out for splatters. Scoop out and drain on paper towels. |
| 14. | Add the mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds then remove from the heat. |
| 15. | Divide the soup between warmed bowls and spoon over some curry leaves and mustard seed oil. |
| 16. | Serve with naan bread, if desired. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles