Sri Lankan Devilled Potato (Ala Thel Dala)

EASY! Sri Lankan Devilled Potato (Ala Thel Dala) Recipe! If you are a potato lover and love spicy foods, you will absolutely fall in love with this recipe.

Sri Lankan Devilled Potato (Ala Thel Dala)

In Sri Lanka, dry curries are common side dishes to serve with rice and bread. Devilled Potato is a Sri Lankan-style spicy dry potato curry and, one of the most popular and loved Sri Lankan potato dishes, locally known as Ala Thel Dala (අල තෙල් දාලා) or Ala Baduma (අල බැදුම).

It is a vegetarian side dish and looks like the Indian-style potato stir fry dish known as Aloo Masala but Sri Lankan food has its own distinctive taste and flavors that are somewhat different from Indian food.

You’ll find an easy-to-follow recipe with step-by-step instructions and helpful tips here. I hope you’ll try and enjoy it as much as I do!!

More Devilled Recipes to Try

Looking for more Sri Lankan recipes?
Take a quick look at the recipe collection HERE

What is Ala Thel Dala or Ala Baduma?

In Sri Lanka, the dish is called Ala Thel Dala which translates to ‘Stir-fried or Sauteed potato‘. Ala is a Sinhalese word for Potato and Thel Dala means Stir-fried or Sauteed.

It is also known as Ala Baduma. Again, Ala is the Sinhalese word for Potato and Baduma means Stir-fried or Sauteed which translates to Stir-fried or Sauteed Potato.

WHAT MAKES A FOOD DEVILED?

The word “devil” is a culinary term that is used to describe a highly seasoned dish with various hot or spicy seasonings such as red pepper, chili sauce, Tabasco sauce, or mustard, to impart a strong flavor, thereby creating a ‘deviled’ dish”.

However, the term always doesn’t refer to something spicy, for example, ‘Devil’s Food Cake’. In that case, the term “devil” is used to describe a dark, rich, chocolate cake.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘DEVILLED’ AND ‘DEVILED’?

The terms ‘devilled’ and ‘deviled’ both mean the same thing. The only difference is that ”deviled” is the accepted spelling in American English while ”devilled” is the preferred British spelling.

what to serve with devilled potato

It goes well with rice and bread and doesn’t seem as spicy if the potato is paired with rice or bread. You can serve this Sri Lankan Devilled potato with white rice, fried rice, or biryani as a side dish or as a part of a Sri Lankan Rice & Curry meal. It also goes well with drinks (or Cocktails) as finger food or as bites.

About Devilled Potato Recipe

This devilled potato is one of the Sri Lankan dishes that I make frequently. So, I have my own version of the recipe that I like and for me, a perfect devilled potato must be slightly crisp and spicy on the outside and soft on the inside without mushy.

A basic recipe for dry potato curry is to sauté chopped boiled or raw potato in oil with onion, garlic, some spices, and herbs. In this recipe, I used boiled potatoes. (The recipe for the spicy dry potato curry with raw potatoes will be posted later.)

When it comes to boiling potatoes, can be a time-consuming step as water takes time to boil and potatoes to cook in it. Boiling time will be different according to the potatoes you use. However, once you prepare boiled potatoes and other ingredients, the dish will be ready in less than 10 minutes.

Ingredients

Potato

Potatoes range between being either waxy or starchy, with many falling in between. Starchy potato varieties become soft and fluffy when cooked, they don’t hold their shape very well which makes them great for mashing and baking. Waxy potatoes are firm yet creamy and hold their shape when boiled, so they’re great for making this kind of stir-fried dish.

Oil

Preferably coconut oil or any neutral cooking oil.

Garlic

I love garlic, so I usually use a lot of garlic in my recipes. In this recipe, I used thinly sliced garlic as it adds mild flavor compared to finely chopped garlic or garlic paste.

Onion or Shallots

You can use either onion or shallots to make this dish. In Japan, I usually use onion for making curries and everything else as it is the one commonly available. However, in Sri Lanka, shallots (eschalots or French shallots) are widely used in cooking.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of the must-have spices in Sri Lankan cooking. I usually use a cinnamon stick because it adds a mildly aromatic, spicy, and sweet flavor to the dish. You can probably use ground cinnamon (I haven’t used it) but make sure to add a small amount to avoid giving the dish a strong flavor. (I prefer using Ceylon cinnamon for its mildly aromatic, sweet, and delicate taste.)

Roasted fenugreek seeds

Fenugreek seeds are also one of the staple spices used in Sri Lankan cooking to flavor curries and stir-fry dishes. It can be incredibly bitter when eaten raw, but you’ll get a sweet, nutty flavor out of fenugreek seeds by dry roasting them. You can dry roast the seeds in a hot dry pan for about 2-3 minutes until it changes slightly in color and turns fragrant.

Turmeric powder

Turmeric is also an essential spice in daily cooking. A pinch of spice is enough to make the dish look very attractive as it gives the dish a pretty golden hue.

Mustard seeds

Black or brown mustard seeds are a common ingredient in Sri Lankan cooking. Mustard seeds need to fry and pop in hot oil to release their full potential.

Chili flakes and/or chili powder

You can use either chili flakes or powder or both. Adjust the spice level to your liking. In this recipe, I used chili flakes and I added them at the end of cooking to prevent them from burning as adding them directly to oil tends to burn them.

Salt & pepper

Adjust them to your liking.

Curry leaves (KARAPINCHA, කරපිංචා)

Any Sri Lankan dish is incomplete without Curry leaves. It is the secret ingredient that adds a wonderful aroma and a distinctive flavor and fragrance to the dish. You can buy it fresh, or frozen at some Asian food stores, as well as online. They are edible and have many health benefits. There is really no substitute for curry leaves, so skip them if you do not have them.

Pandan (Rampe, රම්පේ)

Along with curry leaves, Pandan leaves are also widely used in Sri Lankan cooking, especially when making curries to give aroma and flavor. You can buy it fresh, or frozen at some Asian food stores, as well as online. It is not edible, so please remove them before serving. There is really no substitute for pandan leaves, so skip them if you do not have them.

Fresh Green and red Chilies

In Sri Lanka, fresh green chilies as well as red chilies are widely used as a cooking ingredient. I used both green and red chilies to enhance the flavor and the look of the dish. You can skip them altogether if you don’t like to use them.

Maldives fish (Umbalakaḍa, උම්බලකඩ)

Maldives fish is cured tuna fish traditionally produced in the Maldives. Pounded or crushed Maldives fish is widely used in Sri Lankan cooking but it’s not an essential ingredient. Maldive fish has a strong flavor and aroma, so it should be used in small amounts. If you use them, just saute them with other ingredients before adding potato.

Useful TIPS

Here are some useful tips to make flavorful devilled potatoes.

• For the perfect texture, I like to stir-fry potatoes in a little more oil without counting calories.
• Saute the onion on medium heat till soft, not brown.
• To prevent the potato from becoming mushy, don’t add any water, and don’t cover the pan with a lid while stir-frying.
• Keep stirring the ingredients when stir-frying to cook the ingredients evenly and to avoid burning.
• If you like to give spicy potatoes a bit of tangy flavor, sprinkle some lime or lemon juice at the end of cooking or just after removing the pan from the heat to preserve as much of the flavor as possible.

Sri Lankan Devilled Potato (Ala Thel Dala) Step-by-step Recipe

Prep Time 20 min
Cooking Time 10 min
Total Time 25 min
Servings 5 to 6

Ingredients

500 g boiled potato, peeled, cut into cubes
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2-inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon dry roasted fenugreek, see the notes
5 to 10 curry leaves
2-inch pandan leaves
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 fresh green chilies, sliced
2 fresh red chilies, sliced
1 teaspoon powdered turmeric
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili flakes, adjust as needed

NOTES; You can dry roast the fenugreek seeds in a hot dry pan for about 2-3 minutes until it changes slightly in color and turns fragrant.

Instructions

Potatoes

Cook potatoes in a pan of boiling water for about 10 minutes until almost cooked.

Drain. Set aside.

Peel the boiled potatoes and chop them into cubes and keep them aside.

Onion, sliced

Fresh green and red chilies, sliced

Curry leaves and pandan leaves

Garlic, thinly sliced

Spices; mustard seeds, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric powder, black pepper, chili flakes, and salt.

Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add mustard seeds. Let the seeds crackle.

Sauté the garlic until it is fragrant, about 20 to 30 seconds.

Add curry leaves. pandan leaves, cinnamon, and fenugreek.

Add the onion, and green and red chilies, and sauté until the onion is soft.

Then, add turmeric, salt, and pepper and stir well.

Now, add potato and mix well with other ingredients stirring frequently for about 3 minutes.

Add chili flakes and stir well. Check for salt & pepper and add if needed.

The Devilled potato is ready. Serve with rice or bread.

Looking for more Sri Lankan recipes?
Take a quick look at the recipe collection HERE

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