Eurasian Devil Curry
Be warned, whenever you see the name Devil applied to a dish, it's probably searing hot. After preparing the original recipe from The Conrad Hotel in Singapore, I modified the amount of chilies in this recipe (add more if you dare), but it is still full of exotic flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 fresh chicken (2½ - 3 lb), cut into bite-sized portions
- 2 Tbsp black soy sauce
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, quartered
- 3 cups cold water
- 2 stems lemon grass, bruised
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¾ lb potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2Tbsp wine vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp hot English mustard powder
Spice Paste:
- 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
- 12-15 dried chilies, cut into ¾-inch lengths, soaked to soften
- 4 large chilies, sliced
- 14 shallots, chopped
- 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 2 Tbsp chopped ginger
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped galangal (fresh or water packed in a can)
- 3 candlenuts, crushed (if unavailable two cashew or macadamia nuts can be used for every candlenut)
Instructions
- Prepare the spice paste by processing the mustard seeds until coarsely ground. Add the rest of the ingredients and process to a smooth paste (you may need to do this in two batches if your spice grinder is too small), adding a little oil if required to keep the blades turning.
- Put 4 tablespoons of spice taste and the soy sauce in a large bowl and stir to mix well. Add the chicken and coast well with the mixture.
- Heat a wok and add ¼ cup vegetable oil. When it is very hot, add the marinated chicken and stir-fry until it changes color all over, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces. Add the remaining oil, reduce the heat and add the remaining spice paste and onions. Stir-fry over low-medium heat for another 4-5 minutes.
- Add water, lemon grass and salt and simmer 2 minutes, scaling any spice paste from the bottom of the wok. Add chicken, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Add the potatoes, stirring from time to time, and simmer until cooked, about 20 minutes. Mix the vinegar, sugar and mustard together, then add to the wok, stirring for about 1 minute to mid well. Transfer to a large bowl and serve with steamed rice.