Pineapple, prawn and scallop curry
Coconut and pineapple add a sweet note to this flavour-packed dish made with Laotian curry paste.
Ingredients
For the Laotian curry paste
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted
- 2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly toasted
- 1 lemongrass stalk, hard outer leaves removed, chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped galangal
- 1 lime (preferably kaffir), grated zest and juice only
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 3 tbsp chopped coriander root (alternatively use coriander stems)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh turmeric
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
- 4 red Thai or bird’s-eye chillies
- 2 tsp kaapi (dried shrimp paste)
- 1 tbsp medium curry powder
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the pineapple, prawn and scallop curry
- 2 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp Laotian curry paste (from above)
- 300g/10oz raw prawns, peeled, cleaned and deveined
- 200g/7oz scallops, coral removed
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 500ml/18fl oz coconut milk
- 1 small pineapple, peeled and diced
- 4 spring onions, cut into 2.5cm/1in pieces
- handful of holy basil or ordinary basil leaves, plus extra to garnish
For the salad
- 250g/9oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 red chilli, sliced into long strips
- 1 iceberg lettuce, sliced
- 1 lemon, juice only
Method
For the Laotian curry paste, blend or pound all the ingredients together with a small quantity of water to make a smooth paste. It can be kept, tightly covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen in ice cube trays.
For the pineapple, prawn and scallop curry, heat the oil in a wok and gently fry the curry paste for a minute until fragrant. Add the prawns and scallops. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the fish sauce, sugar and kaffir lime leaves. Stir for a minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove the seafood from the wok and keep warm.
Add the coconut milk to the wok and bring to the boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the pineapple and simmer for five minutes. Return the seafood to the wok and add the spring onions and basil leaves. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, then transfer to serving bowls.
For the salad, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss.
To serve, garnish each bowl of curry with a sprig of basil and serve with the salad.