In Goa & other coastal regions clams, mussels, oysters & other shell fish is an integral part of everyday eating.Teesreo is also known as tisrya, tisryo tisri.Teesreo are clams & are flatter, triangular & with smaller ridges. Khubbe are also clams which are rounder & smoother. Shinnaneo are longish green mussels.

Teesreo, khubbe & shinnaneo are usually embedded deep in the sand. Some rivers also have plenty of these shells which are extracted using bare hands usually during low tide. Kalva are oysters which are found on rocks & have to be extracted by breaking the shells which cling to the rocks & are then collected preferably in a mud pot. It is laborious & tedious to extract kalva. All these shellfish are prepared with various combinations of masalas & spices with coconut as the base or simple stir fry or patties using rice flour as a binder.

I have fond childhood memories of Goa where the fishermonger would come every morning with fresh fish & shellfish. My loving maternal grandmother prepared all Goan food in mud pots in a simple way using coconut oil & I can still recollect that wonderful aroma & taste. I still have tremendous patience with various seafood especially shellfish. It tastes awesome in the place of its origin. I think it has got to do something with the water in coastal regions. I would also collect all the shells & bring them to Pune & use it in my garden or use it for art & craft.

I remember a family friend from Navelim – Goa who prepared amazing Kalva. She knew my love for it & would prepare it especially for me. She cooked it in such a simple way – as a gravy, as patties, in a pulao, a dry preparation… She cooked it with great love & passion. I would dig into it thoroughly enjoying her lip smacking preparations of various shellfish.

I was craving for Kalva since a very long time. During my previous visits I did not get it inspite of enquiring in various restaurants. Recently when I went to Goa for a short vacation a good friend of ours managed to get it cooked for me. I am truly grateful to dear Louella & god bless the dear aunty who prepared it.

The pre-preparation of shell fish before cooking is tedious & time consuming but it is definitely worth the effort. Here is this mouth watering recipe just for you…

Before cooking, first wash the clams well from the outside. Then open each clam carefully with a knife or a dual cutter which is also used for grating fresh coconut. Usually one of the two shells are kept intact. If there is some flesh clinging to one of the shells then using the other shell transfer the flesh to the shell which you will be using for cooking. Sometimes some shells have only sand so while you open each shell in a bowl, transfer immediately to another container along with the juices of the opened shell. After all the shells are opened then strain the juice & keep aside. Wash the shells quickly so that if there is any sand it will get cleared.The top of the open shell may have some loose shell stuck so as soon as you open the clam remove the loose shell & discard. This is very important because you do not want to bite into bits of shell while eating.

This preparation of clams (teesreo) is one of our favorites… We love this fresh green masala teesreo sukhe. In case you like it with red masala then simply replace the green chilies with red chillies! This dish is very delicious & you may opt for another helping. Enjoy this wonderful teesreo sukhe either plain or with fish curry rice or rice & dal. Relish it the way you like best… Bon Appetit! 🙂