Spicy Pan Seared Scallops from the "Modern Indian Cooking"

Yahooooo, I won, I won!!!!! Okay, its been more than a month since I won, but I never got a chance to share my reaction with you all, so here I go again… YIPPPPEEEE!!!!!!! So, what’s the story, you wonder? Well, back in November, multi-talented blogging diva Jaden of Steamy Kitchen, ran a contest on her blog, to give away a cool new cookbook called Modern Indian Cooking to her readers. There were 100+ entries and guess what, yours truly was one of the two lucky winners whose names were randomly picked. (Shhh… the bribe I sent Jaden is our little secret).

Anyway I was so excited to just win something, I didn’t even care about what I actually won. But after a few days, I got this beautiful book by mail – Modern Indian Cooking by Hari Nayak and Vikas Khanna.  Just seeing names like Crispy Pan Fried Shrimp with Tamarind Glaze and Grilled Chicken with Kokum Apple Compote and  Chai Creme Brulee I was hooked. It had the exact same kind of recipes that I’d have in the menu of my restaurant I’ve always dreamed about opening one day -  simple, beautiful contemporary dishes with classic Indian flavors.

The book is full of beautiful pictures, though not always of the finished dish, pictures are truly artistic. The recipes seemed simple and straightforward, and the herbivores will be glad to know that a sizable chunk of the recipes are vegetarian. There are specific sections for Desserts, Drinks and Accompaniments like chutneys and dips as well.  Check out a few sample recipes at the Modern Indian Cooking website.

I have only made one dish from this book so far, the Spicy Pan Seared Scallops with Cilantro Chimmichuri, the very first dish in the book. I made this for a dinner party we threw during the holidays, with an all small plates menu, and these scallops were a big hit. The recipe is so easy, and quick to make, I’m sure I will be making it for many more dinner parties to come.

I made a few changes to the recipe, I didn’t have garlic salt handy, so I used some crushed garlic instead.  I also kept the scallops marinated for a few hours in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fresh sea scallops
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic paste
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• For Cilantro Chimmichuri

• 1 bunch chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• 1 green chili
• 2 tbsp chopped red onions
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• salt to taste

Method

Prepare the chimmichuri first. In a food processor, place all the ingredients for the chimmichuri except for the oil and salt, and process till finely chopped. Add the oil and process until smooth. Season with salt. Transfer to a small bowl and keep covered in the refrigerator till ready to serve.

Rinse the scallops and pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, make criss-cross slits on top of the scallops. In a bowl, mix the spices, the garlic paste and salt. Roll the scallops in the spices to coat well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Heat a non-stick pan until very hot and pour the oil. When the oil gets really hot and begins to smoke, place the scallops in the pan flat side down.

Cook for 2 minutes per side, flipping once. Do not overcook the scallops, they will get rubbery. Remove the scallops from the pan, and save the left-over oil in the pan, this oil will be red in color from all the spices on the scallops.

To serve, spoon the chimmichuri in a plate, and place the scallops in the middle. Drizzle some spicy oil over the scallops.

Serve hot.

The chimmichuri tasted great, It made a great dipping sauce for the spicy scallops, and will work with other meat and seafood dishes too.

Thanks Jaden and Hari Nayak for this great book!

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Category: Appetizers and Snacks, Chutneys and Dips and Pickles, Indian Fusion, Scallops, Seafood