Name: Thai Mussel-Pineapple Curry
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 (4-lb.) unripe pineapple (green all over with absolutely no yellow); 2 Tbsp. store-bought red curry paste; 2 Tbsp. dried shrimp, soaked in hot water until softened, squeezed dry, and ground into fine, cottony flakes; ½ cup freshly extracted coconut cream, or ½ cup canned coconut cream plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin coconut oil; 1 cup coconut milk; 1 Tbsp. fish sauce, or as needed; Grated palm sugar, for seasoning; Tamarind paste for seasoning; 2 lb. live mussels, scrubbed and debearded; 4 or 5 makrut lime leaves, lightly bruised and torn into small pieces

Curry with mussels and pineapple in a blue bowl.

Photo by David Loftus

The broth for this dish is somewhat thin and light, and its flavor is vibrant and refreshing from the fresh pineapple. The savoriness, however, relies on the juices released from live mussels, so, for the best results, don’t use frozen mussels. But if you must use them, add 1⁄2 cup bottled clam juice to the pan along with the thawed mussels for better flavor.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Bangkok’ by Leela Punyaratabandhu. Buy the full book on Amazon.

Recipe notes

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