Photo: Gannu03 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kerala · Breakfast

Arikadukka

Mussels stuffed with a spiced rice-coconut filling, tied closed with banana fibre, and steamed — a spectacular Malabar Muslim breakfast delicacy from the coastal districts of Kannur and Kozhikode. The rice stuffing expands as it steams, filling the mussel shell and absorbing its oceanic juices. Arikadukka requires patience and skill but yields a uniquely flavoured dish that no other preparation can replicate.

🧺 Ingredients

• 16 large mussels (kakka), cleaned and debearded
• 1/2 cup (100 g) raw rice, soaked 2 hours and ground to a coarse paste
• 1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated coconut
• 4 shallots (30 g), finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) fennel seeds (perumjeerakam)
• 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp (0.75 g) turmeric
• 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
• 1 tsp (5 ml) coconut oil
• Banana leaf strips or cooking twine for tying
• Do not over-stuff — the rice expands significantly; 1 tsp is the maximum.

👩‍🍳 How to make Arikadukka

1. Scrub mussel shells clean.
2. Gently pry each shell open at the narrow end with a thin knife — leave hinged at the back.
3. Remove any sandy grit inside but keep the mussel meat in the shell.
4. Mix ground rice paste with grated coconut, shallots, green chillies, curry leaves, fennel, chilli powder, turmeric, salt, and coconut oil.
5. The mixture should be thick, coarse, and hold shape.
6. Place 1 heaped tsp stuffing inside each mussel, pressing around the mussel meat.
7. Close the shell firmly.
8. Tie with a strip of banana leaf or twine around the length of the shell to keep it closed during steaming.
9. Place stuffed mussels in a steamer in a single layer.
10. Steam over high heat for 20–25 minutes until rice stuffing is fully cooked and slightly expanded.
11. Remove twine/leaf strips.
12. Serve hot.

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