Devil curry is a spicy, savoury Eurasian Portuguese meat curry flavoured with a red chilli and ground mustard paste and vinegar. Traditionally served at festive occasions like Christmas, this curry dish is now popularly enjoyed as a delicious meal any time of year.
1whole chicken1 to 1.2 kg, chopped into bite-sized chunks
2tbspblack soy sauce
4tbspblended spice pastesee below
½cupcooking oil
2tspblack or brown mustard seeds
3 - 4cupswater
3lemon grass stemsbottom 1/3 section, bruised
2yellow onionspeeled, quartered
1 ½ - 2tspsaltor to taste
3potatoespeeled, quartered
For the spice paste:
16 - 20dried chilliescut into 2-cm (1-inch) lengths, soaked in warm water for 20 - 30 mins to soften
4large red chilliesroughly chopped
120gshallotspeeled, roughly chopped
2tbspchopped garlic
2tbspchopped ginger
1tbspchopped galangal
½tspground turmeric(optional)
3candlenuts or macadamia nutscrushed
For the vinegar mixture:
4tbspvinegar
2tspsugaror to taste
1tspEnglish mustard powder
Instructions
In a food processor or blender, process the spice paste ingredients to a fine paste. Add a little oil to grease the blades, if necessary.
Put 4 tbsp of the blended spice paste and the dark soy sauce in a large bowl, and stir to mix well. Add the chicken pieces and stir enough times to coat well with the mixture.
In a wok or skillet, heat up 1/4 cup oil over high heat. When very hot, add the marinated chicken and stir-fry until the meat changes colour all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and reduce the heat. Add the mustard seeds and fry until you hear the seeds popping.
Add the remaining spice paste, and fry over low-medium heat until fragrant, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add onions and stir-fry with the spice paste for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add water, lemon grass and salt. Allow to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping any spice paste from the bottom of the wok or skillet. Add the chicken and more water, if needed, to just cover the chicken. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the potatoes. Stir occasionally to cook the potatoes evenly, about 20 minutes, or until softened. Let simmer until the chicken is tender as well.
Stir in the vinegar mixture and let simmer for 1 minute.
Do a final taste test, and flavour with more salt and sugar, if desired. Dish out onto serving plate and serve hot.