So I'm awake in the middle of the night and run across this recipe for 'Singapore Pesto', which manages to capture the umami-heat-salt flavors of Singaporean street food and blend it with some traditional pesto elements, like parmesan cheese. Thinking about the scallops I bought yesterday for today's lunch and having the Asian ingredients needed due to a stop at an oriental market yesterday--well okay, I didn't have candlenuts or macadamias, but I had pine nuts--I liked the idea so much I whipped up a batch. MMMMM! It will be fantastic with the seared scallops, and it's worth sharing:
Chef Willin Low's Singapore Pesto
10 coriander (cilantro) leaves
10 curry leaves
10 thai basil leaves
1 tbsp roasted sunflower seeds
2 candlenut (may be substituted with macadamia)
1 bird's eye chilli
1 tbsp dried shrimps
1 tsp parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic
extra virgin olive oil
Crush the ingredients into a paste using a food processor or mortar and pestle.