Rasam, as prepared in most homes in Southern India, uses either tamarind or tomatoes as the base. It is a piquant broth poured over steaming hot rice. In our home—both in Kerala and America—rasam was a staple part of everyday meals. One night when I was a teenager, I was out to dinner with my brother Tom in New York City’s Little Italy and ate mussels cooked in a light tomato broth very reminiscent of rasam. I couldn’t wait to get home, buy fresh mussels, and cook them in rasam. This dish has made its rounds in my kitchens for close to three decades now. Make sure to have some fresh crusty bread to soak up the tomato-mussel broth.
Mussels attach themselves to stable surfaces using thin, sticky, weedy membranes referred to as “beards,” which must be removed before cooking. Most farm-raised mussels purchased in grocery stores have already been debearded. If the beard is still attached, grasp it with your fingers and pull it downward toward the hinged end of the shell. Pull firmly until it comes out and discard it. Place mussels in a colander in the sink, and run cold water over them to get rid of any visible dirt or grit on the outer shells. Using a vegetable brush, scrub each shell under running water. Overlooked grit can ruin a dish.
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