Recipe: Octopus curry

Octopus curry. Photo / Grant Allen

Serves 4

Curry paste
• 3 medium red chillies
• 4 small green chillies
• 15 cloves garlic
• 6 shallots
• 2 thumbs fresh ginger
• 8 candlenuts (or macadamia nuts)
• 4 thumbs galangal

* Blitz altogether all ingredients in a liquidiser with 2 cups of water until smooth.

• Vegetable oil
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 peeled shallots, chopped
• 2 cups diced octopus tentacles or squid
• 1 tomato, diced
• 3 red and 3 green chillis, finely chopped
• Sugar, salt and white pepper to taste
• 1 firm mango, diced
• Fresh lima beans (optional)

1. This is a "dry" curry. Ibnu started by cooking the octopus in boiling water for 40 mins until tender. He removed it and allowed it to cool, then chopped the tentacles into 2cm length to give 2 cups.

2. Heat up your wok. Add 2 tbsp oil and fry out the curry paste. Be careful when starting, you are adding water to oil. Cook out for at least five minutes.

3. Add the garlic and shallots and cook until tender. Add the octopus and toss over a medium heat. Add the tomato and chillies. Season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste.

4. Add the mango and finally toss around the lima beans over a gentle heat and serve.