There aren't many Indian markets in the Tampa Bay area, which makes it tough to find the proper spices and ingredients needed to make decent Indian cuisine. And for the record, I don't count that generic yellow powder in the spice aisle labeled "yellow curry" as authentic.
While I was visiting Atlanta a few weeks ago, I happened upon the Dekalb Farmers Market, an enormous international market that sells dry goods, spices, cheeses, produce — you name it — that I'd only ever read about or saw on television. I fell in love with their spice aisle, admiring things I'd never been able to find (easily) at home: various spice blends and whole spices at rock bottom prices. I came away a variety of spices, one being Madras curry, allowing me to start my culinary experimentations.
Madras curry typically contains spices like turmeric, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, fenugreek, allspice and curry leaves. People often think of it as being very spicy, but this is not always the case — the heat level can vary by the amount of chilis added to the particular blend. I chose a milder version so that I can add as much or as little heat as I please.
I was browsing through recipes to inspire a dish that would highlight my newly acquired Madras curry powder, looking for something unique and not necessarily authentic Indian cuisine. I came across a recipe for steamed mussels in a coconut curry sauce that is on the menu at the French bistro Mimosa in Los Angeles. Never being able to stick to a recipe, I quickly reworked it in my head, adding different ingredients and altering the flavor profile to suit my tastes.
This recipe is a fusion of flavors from various global cuisines: the Indian Madras curry, a coconut milk based broth often seen in Thai cooking, and Moules Marinières, a classic Breton (the Brittany region in Northern France) dish that involves steaming mussels in white wine.
This article appears in Sep 9-15, 2010.