Keralan scallop molee

Try an opulent curry with scallops and tomatoes for the taste of Kerala. Or, for a less pricey version, you could use prawns and chunks of meaty white fish

Prep:20 mins
Cook:35 mins

Serves 4
More effort

Nutrition per serving

kcal 322
fat 21g
saturates 17g
carbs 14g
sugars 6g
fibre 2g
protein 21g
salt 1.5g

Ingredients

600g (shelled weight) queen scallops, cleaned
1 tbsp coconut or groundnut oil
½ black mustard seeds
¼ cumin seeds
1 onion, very finely chopped
2 green chillies, halved, deseeded and finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
2½ cm cube of ginger, peeled and grated
20 curry leaves (or 40 dried)
½ tsp ground turmeric
400ml can coconut milk
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
squeeze of lime juice or lemon juice (to taste)
1½ tbsp chopped fresh coriander, to serve
plain boiled rice, to serve

Method

Look at the scallops to find a little white bit at the side – this becomes tough when cooked, so cut it off (watch our how to prepare scallops video to find out more). If you have small queen scallops, you probably won’t need to halve them, but if you have large ones, slice them in half horizontally.
Heat the oil and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Cook until the mustard seeds start to pop, then add the onion, chillies, garlic, ginger and curry leaves. Cook for 12 mins or until the onion is golden and the ginger no longer tastes ‘raw’. Add the turmeric, cook for 1 min, then add the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, season and add the tomatoes. Cook for 12-15 mins or until the mixture is slightly thicker and reduced. (If you want to cook this in advance – and the base does taste better after a day in the fridge – stop now, cool and chill. When reheating, bring it to just under the boil before you add the scallops.)
Add the scallops (and prawns or fish, if using) and cook gently for 5 mins (longer if you’re using meaty chunks of fish fillet) or until cooked through. Add lime or lemon juice to taste and season well. Scatter with coriander and serve with rice.