HOLIDAY FOOD GUIDE – INDIAN: Tomato Scallops & Spiced Chutney
Serves 4
For the chutney:
1kg ripe roma tomatoes
1 medium red onion
2 tbsp sunflower oil
6 dried whole chillies
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
10 fresh curry leaves
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Small knob ginger, peeled and grated
For the scallops:
12-16 scallops
1/2 tsp turmeric
Small knob ginger, peeled and grated
Leaf-infused olive oil:
15 curry leaves
1 tbsp sunflower oil
45ml extra virgin olive oil
For the leaf-infused oil:
1. Fry curry leaves in sunflower oil for 30-40 seconds. Drain on kitchen paper and let dry.
2. Crush and mix with the olive oil. The oil will keep for two weeks.
For the chutney:
1.Score the bottoms of tomatoes and blanch in boiling water. Peel, de-seed and coarsely chop. Peel and dice red onion. Heat sunflower oil and add chillies. When the tips of the chillies turn black add the mustard seeds. When they crack or pop, add cumin and chopped onions.
2. Sweat the onions.
3. Add chilli powder, ginger, curry leaves and tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes. If the tomatoes are not sweet enough, add 1 tsp sugar.
For the scallops:
1. Marinate the scallops with 1/2 tsp turmeric and ginger for 20 minutes.
2. Sear in a hot pan. When adequately coloured on one side, quickly turn over.
3. Serve scallops on a bed of tomato chutney. Drizzle with curry leaf-infused olive oil.
