Devil's Curry

Bangulzai SG

(Nyonya Devil Curry Recipe)

Ingredients: Serves 7

13 tablespoons cooking oil

1½ teaspoons ground mustard, blended with 1 tablespoon water

1.2 kg (2 lbs) chicken, cut into serving pieces

1 liter (32 fl oz) water

4 potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 onions, peeled and quartered

125 g (4½ oz) cabbage, cut into big pieces

3 red chilies, cut into 1.5-cm thick pieces

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2½ tablespoons vinegar

2½ teaspoons salt

½ tablespoon sugar

1¼ teaspoons anchovy stock granules

Garnish:

2 tablespoons crisp-fried shallots

1 tablespoon crisp-fried chopped garlic

Finely ground paste:

30 dried chilies, soaked in water to soften and drained

40 shallots, peeled

4 cloves garlic, peeled

6 candlenuts

2.5 cm (1 inch) fresh turmeric, peeled

2.5 cm (1 inch) galangal, peeled

4 stalks lemon grass, sliced

2 teaspoons crushed dried shrimp paste

Method:

Heat the cooking oil and fry finely ground paste until fragrant. Add mustard paste and fry for a minute. Add the chicken and stir. Add water, stir and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and simmer for 25 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are cooked. If potatoes cook before the chicken, take them out and return them to the pot when the chicken is tender. Add onions, cabbage, chilies, soy sauce and vinegar. Season well with salt, sugar and anchovy stock granules. Cook until cabbage is soft. Garnish with crisp-fried shallots and garlic before serving.

Note: If you like crunchy onions, stir-fry the onions in 60 ml (2 fl oz) hot cooking oil. Drain and set aside. When the cabbage is almost soft, add the onions. The Nyonyas use a lot of oil to fry pounded ingredients until fragrant. When the dish is cooked, you can skim off the oil.