Sri Lankan Devilled Chicken

⏱ 45 min · Serves 4

Bold, fiery and deeply satisfying, this Sri Lankan classic is a riot of sweet, sour and scorching heat. Crispy fried chicken pieces are tossed in a punchy sauce loaded with capsicum, onion and aromatic spices — it's the kind of dish that demands extra rice and cold drinks on standby.

Per serving: 420 kcal · 38.0g protein · 18.0g carbs · 22.0g fat

Ingredients

• 700g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 5cm chunks
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges and layers separated
• 1 red capsicum, cut into chunks
• 1 green capsicum, cut into chunks
• 4 long green chillies, sliced diagonally
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2cm piece fresh ginger, julienned
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tbsp sriracha or chilli sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 spring onions, sliced, to serve
• Steamed rice, to serve

Method

1. Toss the chicken pieces with cornflour, turmeric and salt until evenly coated.
2. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Fry the chicken in a single layer for 4–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, sriracha, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, black pepper, chilli flakes and paprika. Set aside.
4. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the same wok over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Add the onion wedges, capsicum chunks and green chillies. Stir-fry vigorously for 2–3 minutes — you want them slightly charred at the edges but still with a little crunch.
6. Return the chicken to the wok and pour over the sauce. Toss everything together over high heat for 2 minutes until the chicken is glazed and the sauce clings to everything.
7. Scatter over the spring onions and serve immediately with steamed rice.