Devil curry is a special dish to every Eurasian family with roots in Malacca. My mother (who was born in Bandar Hilir Malacca) makes this devil curry for special occasions. Every cook will have their own preference for certain ingredients. I chose sausages instead of roast pork and omitted the cucumber. I also do not like to put galangal, lemongrass or candlenuts. But each family have their own recipe and its up to them to cook it to their own preferences.
1 kg chicken, cut into pieces
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Marinate the chicken with the soy sauce, salt and pepper and set aside.
Fry chicken pieces in hot oil for a bit. Set chicken aside.
1 packet cocktail sausages,
300g smoked belly pork or a good ham, cut into 1 inch pieces
half cabbage, cut into large pieces
15 french beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
(you can add cucumber if you like. Cut into thick 1 and half inch pieces)
2 big carrots, sliced thick
6 to 8 granola potatoes, peel, and quarter
3 cups water (or chicken stock)
2 to 3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Honey Dijon mustard
sugar and salt
Rempah (to grind):
35 shallots
6 cloves garlic
5 fresh red chillies, half
15 dried chillies, soaked to soften
1 inch ginger, slsiced
1 teaspoon mustard seed, cracked
1 inch thick ginger, sliced and chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
Method
Heat a cup of oil in a big pot or wok. Fry the sliced ginger and mustard seed. Then add the onion and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the rempah and sauté gently for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, smoked belly pork and combine it with all the rempah ingredients. Add salt and stir fry for 5 minutes. Then add water, carrots, French beans, and potatoes. Stir well and boil for 15 minutes. Stir often. Add the sausage, Dijon mustard, sugar and vinegar. Mix well. The degree of hotness of the curry depends on how much chilli is used. Add bird's eye chillies (sliced lengthwise) to the curry if you like it spicy. Keep the curry on a low simmer for another 10 minutes. Lastly add the cabbage leaves during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly. It is believed that this curry is served on Boxing Day using all the leftovers of the roast chicken, ham and vegetable pickles or sambals to make this curry Debal dish.
Note: Some people prefer to add the cabbage when they are about to serve. They will blanch the cabbage leaves in some hot water and vinegar for a minute. It is then heated with a portion of the curry to be served. This ensures that the cabbage leaves look fresh and appealing.
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