Deviled Potatoes – Sri Lankan Potato Fry (Ala Thel Dala)

With a big flavour punch, this Sri Lankan dry potato curry is no ordinary side dish! Also known as Ala Thel Dala or deviled potatoes, fry these simple spicy potatoes in just 20 minutes.

Why We Love This

These mouthwatering spicy potatoes (Ala Thel Dala) are boiled and fried to perfection, making them soft on the inside, yet firm enough so they don’t just fall apart into mash.

This dry potato curry is such a versatile dish you can serve on it’s own or as a side dish for homemade curries. Double or quadruple the recipe and use the leftovers as a tasty filling for savoury pastries, curry puffs or creative leftover lunches. It’s also vegan and vegetarian friendly.

This recipe is so easy to adapt – whether you want to make it a full meal or tweak the cooking method – see our variations section below for more delicious ideas!

What is Ala Thel Dala? 

Ala Thel Dala means “potatoes fried in oil” in Sinhalese, but this recipe also goes by so many other names. Sri Lankan deviled potatoes (also spelled devilled potatoes), curried potatoes, spicy potatoes, tempered potatoes, dry potato curry – the list goes on!

Whatever you call them, the dish starts from a base of parboiled potatoes that are fried in an aromatic blend of warming spices. Curry leaves add a savoury earthiness, balanced by sweetly caramelised onion and pops of flavour from the mustard seeds. There are a lot of similarities in flavour to Sri Lankan wattakka kalu pol (pumpkin curry), but with a much different texture.

Sri Lankan style deviled potatoes have a much different texture and flavour to other deviled potato recipes, where the soft potato is scooped out of the skins, mashed and seasoned, then stuffed back in. This makes them much more suited to being a side dish or full meal rather than as an appetiser.

P.S. Love potato side dishes? Try our Korean braised potatoes next!

Where We Learned This Recipe

Just like our recipes for Indonesian Corn Fritters and Pumpkin Miso Soup, we learned to make Sri Lankan Deviled Potatoes with our friend Yuko in Japan. She taught us the recipe just as she learned it from her Sri Lankan partner.

One day we met up with a group of Indonesian and Japanese friends for a multicultural feast in Kagoshima. Served alongside platters of homemade corn fritters, pork skewers and spicy boiled eggs, Yuko’s deviled potatoes were a total hit!

What You’ll Need

• Potatoes – You can use any kind of potato for this recipe. We usually use kestrel potatoes, which are bright and colourful with a super creamy texture once cooked.
• Curry Leaves – You can buy fresh curry leaves from supermarkets or grocers. While it’s possible to source dried curry leaves online, the flavour won’t be as strong or as fresh. Please don’t be tempted to substitute fresh curry leaves for curry powder. The two are definitely not the same and the flavour is a total contrast – curry powder is actually a blend of powdered spices including cumin, turmeric, coriander, fenugreek leaves and chilli. If you can’t source curry leaves, you could try substituting with other herbs like basil, lemon basil or kaffir lime leaves. The flavour won’t be the same, but they’ll still help to bring your dish to life.
• Spices – This recipe uses of a fragrant blend of chilli powder, black mustard seeds and turmeric powder which gives the potatoes such a wonderful flavour and golden colour. Thankfully, you should have no trouble finding all of these at a supermarket, import store or online.

Wandercook’s Tips

• Cook the onions until just caramelised to retain a hint of sweetness, or keep cooking until blackened for extra crispy texture.
• Stir frequently to prevent the spices from burning.
• Serve as a side dish for fragrant curries with steamed rice, garlic naan, roti or fresh bread.
• Store any leftover curry leaves in the freezer in an airtight bag or container.

FAQs

Variations & Substitutes

• Bake Potatoes Instead of Boiling (2 Ways)
  1. Smother the uncooked potato cubes in the cooked spices and pop them on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil or leave it off, it’s up to you. Bake for around 30 minutes at 200˚C (400˚F) until the potato is cooked through and the edges are crispy.
  2. Wrap the potato cubes in little pockets of aluminium foil (one portion per person) along with the spices and a drizzle of olive oil. The trapped steam will help infuse all those lovely flavours and aromas from the spices into the potatoes. Bake in the oven or on a super hot grill for around 30 minutes, and be careful of escaping steam when unwrapping the foil. It’s a good idea to wrap in two layers of foil to make sure the steam can’t escape while cooking.
• Use Chilli Jam – Use your favourite chilli jam or chutney instead of the fresh spices for an easy shortcut.
• Make it Saucy – While Ala Thel Dala is traditionally a dry curry, you can create a gravy by adding 60ml (1/4 cup) of coconut milk. Cover and simmer on low heat for around 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
• Make it Meal – Add chicken or veggies such as carrots, cauliflower or broccoli – with or without the sauce variation above.
• Get Creative with Leftovers – Stuff leftover curried potatoes in homemade samosas or pastries. Make toasted sandwiches or regular sandwiches with fresh bread and butter. Yum!

Try these flavour packed curry recipes next:

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