The Keralan Moilee Curry

You’ll often find a dish called Moilee on the menus of Indian restaurants. It’s a traditional fish curry from the southernmost state in India, Kerala. The fish is marinated in salt, black pepper, and turmeric before being poached in this deliciously spiced curry leaf-scented coconut milk broth that gets its vibrant golden yellow color from turmeric and its rich flavor from garam masala. Slit green chilies add a hint of heat, perfectly balanced by the sweetness of coconut milk and tanginess from lemon juice. I’ve given it a modern twist by using lovely bay scallops, coated with black pepper and turmeric, seared to perfection, and served in a pool of the traditional Keralan curry.

A Versatile and Flavorful Curry for the Whole Family

The well-balanced and flavorful Moilee curry works very well for my family, as it’s not too spicy and perfect for me to whip up on a weeknight. It comes together fairly quickly, and is easy to make with frozen fish or shrimp that I tend to always have on hand. This time, I decided to elevate my usual recipe and use scallops instead of the usual fish or shrimp. 

The scallops are dusted with freshly ground black pepper and turmeric before getting a quick sear in the pan. If you don’t eat scallops, you can use shrimp/prawns, any white fish of your choice, or even chicken tenderloins. You can also make it vegan/vegetarian by substituting the scallops with cauliflower and potatoes, along with any other veggies like peas, carrots, etc.

Spooned over rice, appam or idiyappam that are easily available in the frozen section of the Indian grocery stores, this dish makes for an elegant meal – a quick and easy weeknight dinner or a laid-back traditional weekend brunch! I have outlined step-by-step details below that you can follow and easily whip up this signature concoction in your own kitchen.

Seared Scallops Moilee

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• Author: Vasanti

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Ingredients

Scale

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• ½ lb bay scallops, about 14–16 (see. Notes)
• Salt, to taste
• ½ tsp fine ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• For the Moilee Sauce
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) coconut oil or a neutral oil of choice
• 5–6 curry leaves
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• Salt, to taste
• ½ -inch (1.3 cm) piece of ginger, finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 10–12 grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half along the length
• 3–4 slit green chilies
• 1–13.5 fl oz (400 ml) can of light coconut milk
• ½ medium lemon or lime
• 4–5 sprigs of cilantro, leaves chopped, for garnish

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Instructions

• inkle the scallops with salt, pepper and turmeric and toss to coat evenly.
• In a deep sauté pan, melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat. When it starts shimmering, add the scallops in one layer.
• Lower the heat to a medium-low and without moving, allow the scallops to brown lightly on the side that is down. This should take about 2 minutes.
• Flip the scallops using a spatula or a pair of tongs and let them brown on the other side for 2 minutes.
• Transfer them to a platter and set aside.
• In the remaining oil, add the mustard seeds and when they crackle, throw in the curry leaves.
• Take a couple of steps back while the curry leaves splutter!
• Let the curry leaves sizzle for about 30-45 seconds.
• Using a pair of tongs, fish 2-3 leaves out of the pan and set them aside along with the scallops for garnishing.
• Add the sliced onion to the pan. Sprinkle some salt and sauté for 4-5 minutes till it softens.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste, slit green chilies, turmeric and the garam masala followed by the halved grape tomatoes.
• Sauté for about 2 minutes to cook the ginger-garlic and spices out.
• Pour in the entire can of light coconut milk and stir to combine.
• Season with salt and squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a medium sized lemon.
• Combine well, cover the pan and let it come to a boil.
• Simmer uncovered for 4-5 minutes.
• To serve, spoon the sauce into a shallow bowl or a plate. Place the seared scallops in the hot sauce along with steamed idiyappam (rice noodles or string hoppers) or basmati rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro, reserved fried curry leaves and enjoy!