(Serves 4)

800-900g small clams, mussels or cockles

3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil

210g onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon very finely grated, fresh peeled ginger

7 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed to a pulp

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon bright red paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons thick tamarind paste or lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

400ml can of coconut milk, well shaken

Method

Scrub the shellfish with a brush and leave to soak in a bowl of water for an hour. Some people like to add a tablespoon of cornmeal to the water to help the molluscs get rid of the sand in their shells.

Make the sauce. Pour the oil into a large, wide, lidded pan and set over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, put in the onions. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent, turning down the heat as needed.

Add the ginger and garlic. Stir for a minute. Now put in the cayenne pepper, paprika, turmeric, cumin and coriander. Stir for 10 seconds. Add 500ml water, the tamarind, salt and coconut milk. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add the molluscs and return to a simmer.

Cover and simmer vigorously for about 5 minutes or until the molluscs open up. Remove the lid and turn off the heat.