After watching CNA’s documentary “New Stirrings: Come Eat, Before It Disappears”, I got intrigued by Doris’s Devilishly Delicious Curry which serves Curry Debal.
It’s really not a common hawker food found elsewhere.
The stall is located on the upper floor of Amoy Street Food Centre and focuses on Kristang cuisine, a unique blend of Portuguese, Dutch, Malay, and Indian influences.
The well-spoken and polite hawker Justin Teh uses his late grandmother’s secret recipes to keep his family traditions alive.
He previously operated a proper restaurant at City Gate, but the move to a hawker stall suggests a more streamlined, accessible approach to these storied family dishes.
There are just two main choices here: Smoked Pork Curry Debal ($9) and Chicken Curry Kapitan ($7). And I decided to go for both.
Each set comes with a slice of omelette and some stir-fried cabbage or long beans.
For those unfamiliar with the history, “Debal” translates to “remnants” or “leftovers” in Kristang, the creole language of the Portuguese-Eurasians in Malacca.
More people may be familiar with the name “Devil’s Curry”.
Traditionally, this dish was a Boxing Day staple used to clear out the festive meats.
This version features Danish applewood smoked pork, and the curry itself has a distinct reddish colour and a slightly tangy profile because of the vinegar used in the base.
It may sound cliche, but the meat was so melt-in-the-mouth tender with a good ratio of fat to lean meat.
If you are worried it might be too spicy (due to the name “devil”), it actually is not.
Chilli seeds are removed from the spice paste to ensure that the food does not overwhelm the palate.
The Chicken Curry Kapitan is a Nyonya-influenced dish, historically associated with the “Captains” of the ships (thus the name) during the colonial era.
The chicken was cooked until it was soft enough to pull apart easily.
Gravy-wise, it was richer and creamier than the Debal due to a heavy hand of coconut milk. And I wouldn’t have minded a bit more of that sauce.
Justin is happy to explain the history of the dishes to anyone who looks puzzled by the menu. It is clear that a lot of heart goes into the preparation.
It may not be the most intense curry experience in the city, but it is a consistent and well-made tribute to a disappearing culinary heritage.
Doris’s Devilishly Delicious Curry
Amoy Street Food Centre #02-92, 7 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069111 (Near Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat – Sun
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