Tisrya Masala

Name: Tisrya Masala
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Maharashtra)
Ingredients: 1 kg fresh clams (tisrya), scrubbed and soaked in cold salted water 30 min to purge grit; 2 tbsp coconut oil; 1 medium onion (90 g), finely chopped; 1 tsp garlic, minced; 5 dried kokum petals (aamsul), soaked in 60 ml warm water 15 min; ½ tsp salt (clams are naturally salty — go careful); 100 ml water; ¾ cup (65 g) fresh grated coconut; 5 dry Kashmiri red chillies, soaked 20 min; 2 dry Bedgi red chillies, soaked 20 min; 1 tsp coriander seeds, dry-roasted; ½ tsp cumin seeds; 3 black peppercorns; 2 cloves; ½ tsp turmeric powder; Soaking clams in salted water before cooking is essential — skipping it means gritty curry; Cook only until clams open — overcooked clams become rubbery and tough; Discard any clam that does not open during cooking — it was dead before entering the pot

🌱 Vegan🌾 Gluten-free📊 Medium

Fresh clams (tisrya) cooked in a vivid, thin coconut-Malvani masala gravy with kokum souring. A quintessential Konkan coastal dinner — eaten with heaps of steamed rice, the curry almost drunk as a broth. Available only along the Konkan coast where fresh clams are landed daily.

⏱️30 minPrep

🔥5 minCook

🕒35 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Tisrya Masala

Clean and prep clams: Soak scrubbed clams in cold salted water for 30 minutes — they will purge sand. Drain and rinse twice. Discard any clams that are broken or won't close when tapped.
Grind masala (No heat): Blend soaked chillies with coconut, dry-roasted coriander, and all remaining masala ingredients with minimum water into a smooth paste.
Fry base (Heat: medium): Heat coconut oil in a wide pan. Add chopped onion — fry 5–6 minutes until golden. Add garlic — fry 1 minute.
Add clams (Heat: medium-high): Add cleaned clams to the simmering gravy. Cover with a lid. Cook on medium-high for 6–8 minutes. Shake the pan gently every 2 minutes. Clams are done when they have all fully opened — discard any that remain closed.
Finish (Heat: off): Taste and adjust salt. Drizzle coconut oil. Garnish with coriander. Serve immediately with steamed rice — the gravy is meant to be thin and drunk with the rice.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 220 kcal | 24 g | 8 g | 10 g | 2 g | Tisrya (clams) are harvested by Koli fishing families along the Konkan coast — Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and Raigad districts are famous for them. The clams are sold fresh from baskets on Malvani markets in the morning; by afternoon the day's catch is eaten. This dish does not survive refrigeration — it must be made with same-day fresh clams and eaten within 1–2 hours. ---

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