Hello!
This recipe is one that we are so excited to share with you. It’s one that my aunt Razia makes, and the dish that I always associate with her. She’s an amazing cook and has many delicious recipes up her sleeve, but for me, it’s her pepper oysters, eaten with slices of soft white bread dipped into the peppery gravy that are unforgettable.
Oysters have always been available in Kannur, but they have never played a big role in the local cuisine, like their other bivalve cousins, mussels, have. In my own family, this pepper fry is the only dish that is made with oysters, and although aunty says that her grandmother (my great-grandmother) was fond of making this dish, Razia aunty is the only one who makes it these days.
We buy them from a line of make-shift stalls on the side of the highway between Thalassery and Kannur. Here, they’re shucked and kept in plastic bags filled with water, and they look a little like frilly frocks dancing about underwater. If you’ve never tried oysters, they’re buttery and briny, and quite unlike anything else you’ve tasted.
According to aunty, an important step in making oysters is cleaning them well. Put them in a large bowl, filled with water, and gently run your hands through it and pour out the water. Pour more water into the bowl, (don’t have a stream of water falling directly on the oysters, they’re very delicate), and keep repeating this until the water runs almost clear, about 6-8 times.
Traditionally the pepper paste is made using an ammikal, because it releases the oils and makes a smoother, thick paste, but if this isn’t an option, you can use a mixie.
Recipe: Razia Aunty’s Pepper Oysters
Ingredients
2 kilo oysters
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup peppercorns
1 large onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
Salt
Method
Make a thick paste with the pepper and a few tablespoons of water. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a kadai. Add the garlic, quickly followed by onion. Fry until the onion slightly turns colour. Add the pepper paste and turmeric and sauté for several minutes until the oil rises to the top.
Add the oysters, salt (add less than you think you’d need — oysters release brine) and cook on low heat, without a cover until it thickens. This will take about half an hour.