Clam Roast or Kakka Irachi Ularthiyathu is a specialty dish of Kerala wherein small-sized clams are roasted with aromatic spices and coconut bits.
Kakka or small-sized clams are available plentiful in the backwaters of Kerala. If you live nearby backwaters such as Alleppey, Kuttanad, or Poovar, you are lucky to get your hands on this specialty food.
Clam collectors usually boil these Mussels first to remove the hard shells. Only then the meat is sold in the market.
Though we live in Central Travancore and Clam meat is available plentiful, I have never had it to date. The first time I ever saw someone relishing this dish was my husband at his home and sure enough, it is a delicacy.
How to clean Clam
How do you clean clams in Kerala?
Cleaning clam is easy-peasy. But it takes a lot of time because come on, these are teeny tiny. Dad and I had taken about an hour to clean a quarter of clam meat. Meh 😐
As mentioned before, the clam meat available in the market is already boiled and devoid of shells. All you got to do is immerse them in a bowl of water, take one clam in hand, press slightly to expel the dark matter off. Once done, wash the cleaned clams 4-5 times in running water.
Benefits of Clam Meat
Clam meat is nutritious and is rich in Omega 3, proteins, vitamins and minerals. They are a rich source of iron too. It is found that clam meat helps in thyroid health and prevents anemia. It is also considered to be a great brain food which helps in combating mental fatigue and brain fog.
How long does clam meat take to cook?
Clams are easy and quick to cook. The ones we often get in Kerala are tiny and it only takes about 10-15 minutes to cook this small variety of clam.
Clam Roast is
- delicious Kerala delicacy
- easy to cook
- nutritious
- brain food
How to Prepare Kerala Style Clam Roast or കക്ക ഇറച്ചി റോസ്റ്റ്
- Wash and clean clam meat.
- In a clay pot (or a saucepan), add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and salt. You may also add a little chicken masala powder for added flavor.
- Mix well.
- Add about half a cup of water and cook covered the clam meat until done. It would take about 10-15 minutes in medium-low flame. Remove and keep aside.
- Heat coconut oil in a pan and add coconut pieces.
- Fry until golden brown, remove and keep aside.
- To the same pan, add finely chopped ginger and garlic. Saute.
- Add sliced shallots and saute until translucent.
- Add curry leaves and slit green chilies. Mix well.
- Add the spices- turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder.
- Combine and saute until oil starts forming at the sides of the pan.
- Add the cooked clam meat and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes until the clam is well-coated with the masala.
- Add fried coconut pieces and mix again.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and curry leaves. You may also add a dash of lime juice and pepper powder. Serve hot with rice.
Kakka Irachi Ularthiyathu | Clam Roast Recipe:
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Clam Roast | Kakka Irachi Ularthiyathu
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 persons 1x
Description
Clam Roast or Kakka Irachi Ularthiyathu is Kerala seafood delicacy wherein small-sized clams are roasted with aromatic spices and coconut bits.
Ingredients
- 300 gms Clam Meat/Kakka Irachi
Cooking Clam Meat:
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri Chili powder
- ½ tbsp Coriander powder
- ½ tbsp Garam Masala powder
- Salt
- ½ tbsp Chicken Masala powder, optional
- ½ cup Water
Clam Roast:
- 3-4 tablespoon Coconut oil
- ¼ cup Coconut pieces
- 2 tbsp Ginger, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup Shallots, finely sliced
- 3 sprigs Curry leaves
- 3 Green chilies, slit
- ⅛ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Chili powder
- ½ tsp Coriander powder
- ½ tsp Garam Masala powder
- Salt
- Coriander leaves, curry leaves, for garnish
- ½ tbsp Lime juice, optional
- ½ tsp crushed Pepper, optional
Instructions
- Wash and clean clam meat.
- In a clay pot (or a saucepan), add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and salt. You may also add a little chicken masala powder for added flavor.
- Mix well.
- Add about half a cup of water and cook covered the clam meat until done. It would take about 10-15 minutes in medium-low flame. Remove and keep aside.
- Heat coconut oil in a pan and add coconut pieces.
- Fry until golden brown, remove and keep aside.
- To the same pan, add finely chopped ginger and garlic. Saute.
- Add sliced shallots and saute until translucent.
- Add curry leaves and slit green chilies. Mix well.
- Add the spices- turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder.
- Combine and saute until oil starts forming at the sides of the pan. Check for seasoning
- Add the cooked clam meat and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes until the clam is well-coated with the masala.
- Add fried coconut pieces and mix again.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and curry leaves. You may also add a dash of lime juice and pepper powder. Serve hot with rice.
Notes
Clean the clam meat well. It is imperative to remove the black grit from the clam. Else, it will upset your stomach.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Kerala
Keywords: clam roast, kakka irachi ularthiyathu, കക്ക ഇറച്ചി റോസ്റ്റ്, കക്ക ഇറച്ചി ഫ്രൈ
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The Love of Spice says
SOLD! By the very first image.
Haven't made clams at home, but now I am going to, and I am going to use this recipe. Bookmarking it!
Tasha Duncan-Drake says
I wonder if it would work with the clams from around here? Such a wonderful array of spices. I can just imagine the fragrant scent..
Tasha
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Mayuri Nidigallu says
I have never eaten Clams, as I have this irrational fear that I would break out into an allergy when I do. These look so delicious, and except for the cleaning bit, easy to make too. Going to share this recipe with my clam loving friends.
Sitharaam Jayakumar says
I have never tried clam. But I love the Kerala style of preparing Prawn Masala Fry. They use baby prawns with masala and plenty of onions. I love the dish and never fail to order a plateful when I go out with my family for dinner on weekends. I will try clam the next time I go out.
Dipika says
I have never tried clam, but love the squids and prawns. So thinking it will be delicious too. Next time when I am going out in a South Indian restaurant know now what have to order.
abhijit says
Never eaten clam. After reading this post, it is definitely worth a try.
Soumya says
This looks so delicious! I have never had clams in my life, can you believe it? As much as I love seafood I need to get to it soon.
Amelia says
I was salivating reading this post. We have a similar type of clam here in Malaysia, I may be able to adapt the recipe using those clams. Yum!
Rachna Parmar says
This looks absolutely delicious, Shalini. I am never able to source clam meat here somehow.
Lata Sunil says
Living barely 200 metres from the kayal meant a daily flow of kaka irachi. Though I don't eat non-veg, I had to make an exception for Kaka irachi. It is the yummiest. I am sure to indulge in a lot of it when I go to Kerala next.
Roshan says
While it is available in kannur, claims and mussels are two things i actually don't eat a lot of. But my mom loves it.