Devilled Chicken: Why Sri Lanka Does Spicy Differently

The spiciest thing on the menu, and the one people get addicted to. What devilled actually means in Sri Lankan cooking.

If you see the word devilled on a Sri Lankan menu, that is the kitchen telling you something. It is the hottest thing they make, and it is also probably the dish their regulars order most.

What devilled means

Devilled is a technique, not a single recipe. Chicken, beef, or squid is fried, then tossed hard in a wok with onions, capsicum, green chillies, tomato and a thick, dark, chilli-heavy sauce. It comes out glossy, sticky and aggressive.

The word comes from British colonial cooking, where devilled meant heavily spiced. Sri Lanka took the term and then took the spice level somewhere the British never intended.

Why the heat feels different

Because it is dry heat, not sauce heat. There is no coconut milk or cream to soften it. The chilli is right there on the surface of the meat, hitting you immediately rather than building through a curry. It is sharp, direct and it does not let up.

How to eat it

Not on its own, and not as your only dish. Devilled is meant to sit alongside rice and something cooling. Get it with plain rice or a mild curry and it becomes balanced. Eat it by itself and you are just enduring it.

It is also excellent with a beer or a lime soda, for reasons that will become obvious.

Should you order it?

Not on your first visit. Get comfortable with the cuisine, then come back for this. When you do, order it with rice and a dhal, and you will understand why people are obsessed with it.

Try it in Scarborough

We are a family-run halal Sri Lankan and Indian kitchen in Scarborough. We can dial it down if you ask, but the devilled is meant to have teeth. Read how spicy Sri Lankan food really is, or what to order first.