Spiced Mussels in a Tamarind Broth

When in San Francisco at the Fisherman’s Wharf, I was so inspired by the abundance of seafood that I wanted to find a way of cooking it using Indian spices - my own version of East meets West. It occurred to me to cook mussels in a spicy tamarind broth, reminiscent of the South Indian soup known as rasam, which uses black pepper and tamarind. In other words, an Indian version of Moules Marinière. Serve either as a starter or as a main course with bread to mop up the juices.