Don’t be put off by the long list of exotic ingredients – they’re all available in large supermarkets nowadays and the recipe is very quick to make. Serve with steamed rice.
Ingredients
- For the paste
- 3
lemongrass stalks, chopped - 4 green
bird’s-eye chillies, seeds removed, chopped - 4
lime leaves, chopped - 1
lime, zest and juice only - 1 banana
shallot, chopped - 2cm/¾in knob
galangal (or fresh root ginger) - 2
garlic cloves, peeled and chopped - 4 tbsp
coriander root - 1 tsp ground
cumin - 1 tsp ground
coriander - ½ tsp crushed
black peppercorns - 2 tbsp Thai
fish sauce - 1 tsp
palm sugar
- 3
- For the curry
- 2 tbsp
vegetable oil - 400ml/14fl oz
coconut milk - 125g/4½oz pea
aubergines - 2
limes, juice only - 12 hand-dived
scallops, scallop removed and roe discarded - 2 tbsp chopped
coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Thai basil, torn
- 2 tbsp
Preparation method
For the paste, place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
For the curry, heat a wok and add a tablespoon of oil and the paste. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the coconut milk, pea aubergines and lime juice.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan and add the remaining oil. Once hot, add the scallops. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side.
To serve, place the scallops on serving plates and pour over the sauce, or drop the scallops in the sauce just before serving. Garnish with the coriander and Thai basil.