Devilled chilli squid

Stir-frying and devilled dishes show a historic Chinese influence in Sri Lankan cuisine.

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 30 mins EASY

2 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp plain flour oil for stir-frying and deep-frying 350g squid, cleaned and cut into rings

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2.5cm piece ginger, finely chopped 3 medium white onions, chopped 1 green pepper, cut in 2cm cubes 1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp light soy sauce

11/2 tsp coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tbsp tomato purée

2 green chillies, finely chopped (deseeded if you want less heat) 2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil 6 spring onions, sliced

1 sprig fresh curry leaves, or 6 dried small bunch coriander, finely chopped

1 spring onion, chopped

1 Mix the flours with a pinch of salt and about 80-100ml water to make a thick batter. Heat a saucepan or wok with oil, filling it no more than a third full. Test it’s hot enough with a single squid ring that should turn golden brown and float to the surface within 1 min. Dip the rest of the squid rings into the batter in batches, shaking off any excess, then deep-fry until golden and crisp, about 2-3 mins per batch. Drain well in a colander lined with kitchen paper and keep warm.

2 Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until golden. Add the onions and fry for 5 mins until softened and light brown. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the coriander and some spring onion and stir-fry on medium-high heat for 8-10 mins. 3 Add the squid rings and stir-fry for another min. Serve with the coriander and remaining spring onion sprinkled over.

GOOD TO KNOW vit c • 2 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 362 kcals • fat 18g • saturates 1g • carbs 30g • sugars 11g • fibre 5g • protein 18g • salt 0.7g