Method
- Pat the cuttlefish or squid completely dry. Toss with salt and cornstarch. The cornstarch coats the rings and helps the sauce cling.
- Heat oil in a wide wok or pan over the highest possible flame. Add the squid in a single layer and sear undisturbed for 90 seconds.
- Add curry leaves; they will crackle. Toss the squid for 30 more seconds. Lift everything out of the pan with a slotted spoon (squid overcooks fast).
- In the same pan with the remaining oil, stir-fry garlic, ginger and green chilies for 30 seconds.
- Add onion, both capsicums and tomato wedges. Stir-fry vigorously for 90 seconds — the vegetables should colour at the edges but stay crunchy.
- Whisk ketchup, chili sauce, soy, Worcestershire, sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl. Pour into the wok. Return the squid. Toss for 60 seconds — every piece should be glossy and red-coated. Plate immediately. Serve as part of a Sri Lankan party plate or as a stand-alone with rice.
Common questions
Can Devilled Cuttlefish be made ahead?
Devilled Cuttlefish is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 8 minutes.
How spicy is Devilled Cuttlefish?
As written this recipe is medium-to-hot — typical of authentic Sri Lanka cooking. To temper the heat, halve the chili or remove the seeds; to push it further, add more bird's-eye chili at the finishing stage. The spice can be adjusted at any point during cooking.
Is Devilled Cuttlefish vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Devilled Cuttlefish to make at home?
Devilled Cuttlefish is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 23 minutes, no special technique required.
Can Devilled Cuttlefish be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Devilled cuttlefish is part of the 'devilled' family of Sri Lankan dishes — devilled chicken, devilled prawns, devilled beef — that emerged in the 1970s and 80s when Sri Lankan-Chinese restaurants in Colombo created Westernised hot-and-sour-and-sweet stir-fries with British 'devilled' (chili-spiced) flavour profiles. The dishes became wildly popular at parties and weddings, and now exist as standard Sri Lankan home dishes too. The colour signature is bright red-orange from the ketchup-chili-tomato; the texture is wet-saucy with crunchy vegetables.
