Marmite Seafood Curry Paella 妈蜜咖喱海鲜焗饭

*Recipe in collaboration with Marmite.

My family and I love paella. Personally, I super love the authentic Spanish version that is flavourful and colourful. However, as I do cook for very aged parents at home, I need to add some local flavours to make it palatable for them. In this instance, I have added 2 new elements to my fusion paella - a tinge of curry for the Asian appeal and Marmite for the health benefits. Marmite being a yeast extract that's rich in B vitamins (B1 thiamin; B2 riboflavin; B3 niacin; B12 and Bg folid acid) make the whole dish more meaningful for me and my family. Also, the umami taste in Marmite is also a good medium to marry all the flavours to make this Marmite Seafood Curry Paella 妈蜜咖喱海鲜焗饭 a cohesive one pot dish. This is a daring home cooking attempt for me. Did I get their thumbs up? I'm glad that I did!

Ingredients for Spicy Paste/Rempah (enough for 1 small bottle) :

• 2 pcs lemon grass (chopped)
• 1 pc thumb size galangal (sliced) 
• 5 cloves garlic (peeled and halved)
• 5 small shallots (peeled and halved)
• a handful of dried chillies (subject to level of preferred spiciness)(deseeded)
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp belacan shrimp paste
• 1/2 tsp Marmite
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients for Paella (enough for 4 pax) : 

• 2 cups rice grains (washed, soaked for 30 minutes and drained)
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 200 gm white clams (rinsed and cleaned)
• 200 gm mussels (rinsed and cleaned)
• 8 mid sized prawns (deshelled except the tip and deveined)
• 1 cuttlefish of about 300 gm (cleaned, skin removed, scored and cut to small pieces)
• 65 gm coconut cream
• 2.5 tbsp spicy paste/rempah (that was made earlier)
• 1 tsp Marmite
• 1/2 pc ikan bills stock cube
• 2 stalks cilantro (finely chopped)
• 2 to 3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 tsp roasted paprika powder 
• 2 tbsp coconut oil or cooking oil
• 500 ml to 600 ml water (subject to pan size)

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon) 

Method :

1. Prepare spicy paste/rempah by blending all ingredients in a blender. Heat frying pan with cooking oil and stir fry blended mixture till cooked and fragrant. Transfer to bottle and set aside to cool.
2. Proceed to cook Paella by heating coconut oil in 26 cm paella pan or shallow round pan.  
3. Add 2 tbsp cooked spicy paste/rempah into heated oil and stir fry till fragrant.
4. Fold in coconut cream and stir till mixture turns to curry gravy form.
5. Fold in drained rice grains and give it a quick stir fry.
6. Add water into pan (till about 2 cm above rice)
7. Add Marmite and ikan bills stock cube. Stir till mixture is even.
8. Add rosemary atop and cover pan with lid. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes in low-medium heat.
9. Use a separate saucepan or pan to stir fry prawns and cuttlefish with 1/2 tbsp spicy paste/rempah till half-cooked. Set aside.
10. When 20 minutes' up, remove pan lid. Discard rosemary and arrange all seafoods on top of steamed rice.
11. Cover lid and allow to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes (or till all seafood fully cooked).
12. Turn off heat. Top paella with sprinkled paprika powder, finely chopped cilantro, grated Parmesan cheese and lemon wedges before serve.
13. Serve whilst hot.

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