Some years ago, a friend of mine asked if I could come up with a South East Asian style tapas dish for a charity event he was holding. As I was due to fly out to Israel first thing the next morning, I had to keep it really, really quick and easy – and Kupang Masak Lemak was the result! I gave it a Malay name, just for the fun of it!
I have since made these mussels many, many times, it’s very light yet packs a full flavour profile. Some crusty bread on the side to mop up all that lovely sauce is a must! But if you fancy rice, that’ll be just as perfect!
The spices used are your standard South East Asian. If you have trouble getting the galangal, lemongrass or lime leaves, leave them out, you will still get a wonderful dish. Click on the aromatics above to read more about them.
Malay Language Lesson:
Kupang – Mussels
Masak – Cook
Lemak – Cream, ie the coconut milk
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Kupang Masak Lemak (Mussels in light Coconut Milk)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
Quick, easy and deliciously full of South east Asian flavours! Perfect with bread or rice.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (just over 2 lb) mussels, scrubbed and cleaned
- 1Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 fresh chilli
- 2.5 cm (1″) ginger
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
- 1cm (about half in) galangal
- 200 ml (4/5 cup) coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- juice of half a lime
- 3 fresh kaffir lime leaves, optional
- small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
Instructions
- Clean your mussels by scrubbing the shells.
- Pound or finely chop the garlic, chilli, ginger and galangal.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion slices, the lemongrass & the pounded ingredients, stirring and cooking for a minute, you’ll get a lovely aroma at this stage.
- Pour the coconut milk in, add the soy sauce and lime leaves too. Stir it all in.
- Add the mussels in, give them a very quick stir, cover & leave to steam on the same heat for about 3-4 minutes, giving it a shake or two during this time. At the end of the 3-4 minutes, they will be done.
- Tip everything onto a warm serving platter, squeeze the lime juice all over, scatter with the fresh coriander and serve immediately.
- Category: Starter
- Cuisine: Singaporean and Malaysian
I don’t eat shellfish unfortunately but the base sounds amazing. I love using coconut milk and ginger. I have never used lemongrass though so I’m not sure what it tastes like.
Using mussels in a seafood dish and all these other flavor compliments sounds amazing. I need this in my life!
Seafood is one of my favorites. Although I have never had mussels before I have heard that they are so good.
I have never had these before but they look delicious. I would love to be able to try them!
This is absolutely looks yummy and I want to learn how to cook this. Glad you share this
Thank you Maria!
I am not a fan of mussels to be honest but I am a fan of SE Asian foods and flavors. I would try this just to see the difference in flavors.
Omg can we say yum?!? I just love muscles!!! Must give your recipe a try
I love mussels because they’re versatile. You can cook them with any kind of sauce and they’re still going to taste amazing. This recipe looks delightful! Easy too!
That’s pretty yummy! We just usually cooked mussels (tahong) in ginger soup at home, although coconut milk is most used condiments in cooking here.
Ooh this looks great. I’d love to surprise my family with some flavorful mussels. I think this would be perfect.
This is a recipe my family would really enjoy. I’m going to print it out and give it a try. It looks and sounds amazingly delicious.
This sounds amazing! I’ve only had muscles once and had a horrible allergic reaction.
The food looks so good! I’ll definitely try making one with this recipe:)
Coconut milk makes everything taste better! This sounds like a fresh and plentiful dish that my friends would love!
Seafoods are something I really wanted to eat! I’m really craving. Maybe I can do this at home. Bookmarked this recipe.
OMG I need to make this! It sounds so amazing, I love all seaford and like to try different recipes whenever I travel. I will be making this at ome and giving it a go
I love to eat seafood but not that great at cooking it. Thanks for the recipe.
I love seafood. I’ll have to try this recipe. I’ve never eaten mussels, but they sound delicious with the coconut milk, soy sauce, and the spices.
I love mussels. I am always buying coconut milk and then looking for a new recipe. Thank you, I will be trying this.
Sounds good. I am fond of seafood and i would love to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
My husband would really love this. I’ve never been a fan of mussels, but he enjoys them.
Im not a seafood fan although i must admit this does look yummy! My friend enjoys seafood so going to send her this link!
I’m seeing a lot more coconut milk at the store & now your recipe. Guess it’s time to learn what makes coconut milk so special
I learned how to cook mussels. These look so tasty
Mussels in coconut milk was a mouth watering creamy combination for everyone. Thank you for another nutritious yet very affordable meal that will be loved by all generations.
Not a seafood lover at all but my husband loves it!! 😉
My husband is a huge fan of seafood and mussels are one of his favorite. I really like that your Mussels in light Coconut Milk are really easy to make! Have to add them to our menu asap!
Thank you so much, I hope you enjoy them!