Devil's Curry

Name: Devil's Curry
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 25 piece dried red chilies, seeded and soaked; 8 piece shallots, coarsely chopped; 5 clove garlic, coarsely chopped; 3 stalk lemongrass, white part only, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp ginger, minced; 1 tbsp galangal, minced; 0.25 tsp ground turmeric; 0.25 cup cooking oil (for spice paste); 1.5 tbsp water (for blending paste); 0.25 cup cooking oil (for frying); 1 tbsp mustard seeds; 1.35 kg chicken, cut into pieces; 750 g potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces; 1 cup water (for curry); 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp sugar; 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar; 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Devil's curry is a beloved Malaysian Portuguese-Eurasian dish featuring tender bone-in chicken and starchy potatoes simmered in a bold homemade chili spice paste with mustard seeds and a tangy splash of vinegar. It's rich, spicy, and comforting — perfect for special occasions.

1h 45m 4 servingsRasa Malaysia Source

Extracted by chinwei271Extracted 1 Jul 2026

Nutrition· per serving · estimated

336

Calories

35g

Protein

27g

Carbs

53g

Fat

Scale recipe

4 servings

Original recipe

Ingredients18 items

Produce

🧅shallots, coarsely chopped8 piece

🧄garlic, coarsely chopped5 clove

🌿lemongrass, white part only, thinly sliced3 stalk

🫚ginger, minced1 tbsp

🫚galangal, minced1 tbsp

🥔potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces750 g

🌿cilantro, chopped, for garnish2 tbsp

Meat

🍗chicken, cut into pieces1.35 kg

Pantry

🛢️cooking oil (for spice paste)¼ cup

🛢️cooking oil (for frying)¼ cup

🍬sugar1 tsp

🍶distilled white vinegar2 tbsp

Spices

🌶️dried red chilies, seeded and soaked25 piece

🟡ground turmeric¼ tsp

🟤mustard seeds1 tbsp

🧂salt1 tsp

Other

💧water (for blending paste)1½ tbsp

💧water (for curry)1 cup

Instructions

1
Seed the dried red chilies and soak them in water for 20-30 minutes until softened.
25:00 timer
2
Coarsely chop the shallots and garlic, and thinly slice the white part of the lemongrass stalks.
3
Mince the ginger and galangal.
4
In a blender, combine the soaked chilies, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, ground turmeric, cooking oil, and water; puree until smooth to make the spice paste. Set aside — blending your own paste fresh gives the curry real depth of flavor.
5
Cut the chicken into pieces and peel and cut the potatoes into pieces. Bone-in chicken (thighs, drumsticks, or a whole chicken cut up) is recommended — the bones release flavor and keep the meat tender.
6
Heat the cooking oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat.
7
Add the mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop — this step is key, giving the curry an aromatic tang.
8
Add the spice paste to the oil and fry, stirring occasionally, until aromatic and the oil separates and floats to the top, about 10 minutes.
10:00 timer
9
Add the chicken and stir to coat it evenly in the spice paste; cook for 8-10 minutes.
9:00 timer
10
Add the potatoes and stir to combine. Starchy potatoes like Russet or Yukon Gold work best — they break down slightly while cooking and soak up the curry's flavor.
11
Pour in the water, adding just enough to barely cover the chicken and potatoes. Season with salt and sugar to taste and stir well.
12
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.
25:00 timer
13
Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and sugar if needed.
14
Stir in the white vinegar to mix well, then turn off the heat.
15
Garnish with cilantro, if using, and serve hot with steamed rice.

Free, no card required.

CuisineMalaysian