21 August 2011

Cook A Pot Of Curry - Curry Debal (Eurasian Devil's Curry)

Curry Debal (Devil's Curry)

In support of "Cook A Pot of Curry Day", I had Prata with fish CURRY for breakfast, McNuggets with CURRY sauce for lunch, and devilishly curry for dinner!

Devil's curry (also known as curry debal in Kristang or curry devil) has its root from Portuguese. It is a very spicy curry flavoured with candle nuts, galangal, vinegar and tonnes of dried chilli from the Eurasian Kristang (Cristão) culinary tradition in Singapore and Malacca, Malaysia.

This fiery devilishly hair-raising dish does justice to its name, if you are not a spicy person, be wary with the amounts of chili use.

Curry Debal (Devil's Curry)

These days, any type of meats can be used in this recipe, but in the past, other parts of the pig were added, including offal.

Recipe: Curry Debal (Eurasian Devil's Curry)
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
chilli paste (makes about 325gm paste)
• 60gm dried chill, cut into half, soak in water for 5mins to soften the chilli
• 50ml water

onions paste
• 330g medium onion (about 7), cut into 4 wedges
• 10g of ginger
• 50ml water

curry debal
• 1tsp mustard seeds
• 1 medium cabbage (i use 1 large cabbage bcos we simply love it)
• 410gm medium potatoes (about 3)
• 130gm carrot (optional)
• 150gm snow peas (optional)
• 250g cooked roasted pork (can be replace with 3 chicken thigh/pork)
• 15tbsp oil
• 4tbsp white vinegar
• salt to taste (i use about 2tsp)

Method:
1. Blend the Chilli and water in a food processor until a smooth paste is formed. Put into a bowl and set aside.

2. Blend the onions, ginger and water in a food processor until a smooth paste is formed. Put into another bowl and set aside.

3. Semi-pound the mustard seeds or loosely wrap into a cling wrap and use a rolling pin to roll over. (don't need too fine, once mustard seeds are opens, it's done).

4. Wash & cut cabbages into big chucks.

5. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and cut into cubes (about 6-8 pcs, not so big otherwise it take a longer time to cook).

6. Wash & cut the carrots into 1cm thickness.

7. Rinse snow peas in water, cut the tip of each side and pull out the tough string that runs along its side.

8. Slice the cooked roasted pork.

9. Heat up wok with 10 tbsp of oil over medium fire.

10. Put in the onions & ginger paste and cook over medium fire for about 10-15min or till the mixture is almost dried up. Stir occasionally. (do not cover with lid, as you want to dry up the water in the onions and not adding more water from the steam)

11. Add in all the chilli paste and keep stirring over low fire for 5min to avoid burned. (if you can't take spicy, add according to your taste)

12. Add in potatoes, carrots and 1½ cups of water, cover with lid and simmer over low fire for 30min or till potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally.

13. Stir fry the peas in another work with ½tsp of oil for about 1min, set aside

14. Boil the cabbages in a pot of boiling water ½tsp of salt and 1tbsp of oil for 1min over medium fire. Drain and set aside.

15. Add in roasted pork, mustard seeds, 4 tbsp white vinegar, 2tsp of salt (feel free to adjust the salt according to your taste). Stir for 2mins. (if you are using chicken, put in the chicken when the curry has simmer for 15mins)

16. Add in cabbages & snow peas and transfer to bigger pot to simmer over low fire for about 10min.

17. Serve hot with white rice.

Tips: Do not cook the peas and cabbages directly in the pot of curry as the vegetables gives out water which will make the curry diluted.

There are various way of cooking the famous Devil's Curry, some less elaborate or with other ingredients. This recipe I am sharing is a authentic family recipe passed down by my grandparents-in-law who is Portuguese. This dish will still be sumptuously tasty even the chilli is reduce. Feel free to reduce the chilli to your own tolerance.

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