Mussels Congolaise - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb mussels (or clams)
1/4 red onion, julienne
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup coconut milk
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon chipotle chile in adobo, pureed
1/2 lemon, the juice
1/2 lime, the juice
1/2 tablespoon coriander seed, grounded
1/2 tablespoon black pepper, freshly grounded
1/2 tablespoon cumin seed, toasted (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
The addititonal ingredients which the Chef added for Mussels without the chipotle peppers are this
1/2 cup white wine (or add 1 cup)
1 cup celery rib, julienne cut

Preparation

Clean the mussels and remove the \"beard\".
Heat a sauce pot on medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and saute the red onion, garlic, and all the ground spices for about a minute.
Add mussels, coconut milk, roma tomatoes, chipotle chiles, lemon, and lime juice to the pot. Some salt to taste only, because the mussels are salted.
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer the mussels until they have opened, but watching carefully to not over cook them. Decorate with fresh cilantro on top and serve.
For the additional Ingredients: add the white wine together with the mussels without chipotle, and add the celery on top of the mussels and cook until opened.
Important Note: rinse the wild mussels several times but do not let them sit in water, as freshwater will kill them.