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Hot butter cuttlefish
හොට් බටර් දැල්ලෝ (hot butter dallo): crisp battered cuttlefish tossed in garlic butter, chilli flakes and spring onion
Along Colombo's Galle Road and in the seafood restaurants of Negombo, hot butter cuttlefish is the dish nearly every table orders first, a heap of golden, crunchy strips that disappear while the rice and curries are still on their way. The cuttlefish is scored, dipped in a light, chilli-spiked batter and fried hard, then thrown into a pan of foaming butter with garlic, dried chilli flakes, green chilli and a big handful of spring onion. The result is crisp outside, tender within, rich, salty and properly hot, and it is eaten as a starter or alongside fried rice and a fresh lime. It goes wrong when the cuttlefish fries too long, because it turns rubbery after about two minutes in the oil. Chef's tip: score the inside of each piece in a fine criss-cross so it curls and grabs the batter, and fry in small batches so the oil stays hot.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the cuttlefish
- 1 ⅛ lb cleaned cuttlefish or squidcut into 1 x 5 cm strips, scored
- 1 /2 tsp salt
- 1 /2 tsp ground black pepper
For the batter
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
- 1 ⅜ oz cornflour
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 /2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- ½ cup ice-cold water
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil, for deep frying
For the hot butter
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 6 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 1 small onionfinely chopped
- 2 green chilliessliced
- 1 tbsp dried red chilli flakes
- 4 spring onionssliced
- 1 /2 tsp sugar
To serve
- 1 lime (optional)cut into wedges
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ⅛ lb cleaned cuttlefish or squid completely dry with kitchen paper and season with 1 /2 tsp salt and 1 /2 tsp ground black pepper.
2 minStep 2: Whisk 2 ⅛ oz plain flour, 1 ⅜ oz cornflour, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 /2 tsp salt, 1 egg and ½ cup ice-cold water into a smooth batter about as thick as double cream.
3 minStep 3: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil, for deep frying to 350°F in a deep pan over a medium-high heat; a drop of batter should rise and bubble at once.
5 minStep 4: Dip a handful of cuttlefish into the batter, shake off the excess and fry for 1 1/2–2 minutes until crisp, golden and opaque all the way through. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the rest.
8 minStep 5: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a wide pan over a medium heat until foaming, then add 6 cloves garlic, 1 small onion and 2 green chillies and fry for 1–2 minutes until the garlic is pale gold.
2 minStep 6: Stir in 1 tbsp dried red chilli flakes and 1 /2 tsp sugar for 20 seconds.
1 minStep 7: Add the fried cuttlefish and 4 spring onions and toss quickly for 30–40 seconds until coated. Serve at once with 1 lime.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hot butter cuttlefish take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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