Leftover devilled chicken tucked into buttered bread with cucumber and onion, turning Sri Lanka's fiery party dish into a satisfying sandwich.
Devilled chicken is a Sri Lankan party and restaurant favorite: chunks of fried or grilled chicken tossed in a thick, glossy sauce built from soy sauce, tomato sauce, green chile and a generous handful of sliced onion and bell pepper, all cooked hot and fast in a wok so everything stays glossy rather than stewed. It reflects the Chinese-influenced 'short eats' tradition found in Sri Lankan restaurants, where quick wok-fried dishes are served alongside more traditional rice and curry. Using it as a sandwich filling is a practical, popular move at Sri Lankan bakeries and home kitchens the day after making a full batch — the spicy, slightly sweet-and-sour chicken pieces get piled into soft, lightly buttered bread with a few slices of raw onion and cucumber for crunch and coolness against the heat. The sauce needs to be cooked down enough that it won't soak through the bread immediately, thick and clingy rather than runny. Getting real wok heat into the pan when frying the chicken and vegetables — quick, high-heat cooking rather than a slow simmer — is what keeps the vegetables crisp and the whole dish from turning mushy.
Serves 4
Toss chicken pieces in cornstarch. Fry in hot oil until golden and cooked through, about 6 minutes, then remove and set aside.
In the same pan, stir-fry onion, bell pepper and green chile over high heat for 2 minutes so they stay crisp, then add garlic for 30 seconds.
Keep the heat high and keep everything moving — this dish depends on wok-style speed, not slow simmering.
Return the chicken to the pan. Add soy sauce, tomato sauce, chili sauce and sugar. Toss quickly over high heat until the sauce thickens and coats everything glossily, about 3 minutes.
Let the devilled chicken cool for a few minutes so it won't make the bread soggy immediately.
Butter the bread, layer with cucumber slices, pile on the devilled chicken, top with a second slice of bread and serve.
Cook the sauce down until it's thick and glossy, not runny, or the bread will turn soggy within minutes.
Keep the stir-fried vegetables on the crisp side — a minute or two of high heat is enough; they'll continue softening slightly once combined with the hot sauce.
Use day-old bread or toast it lightly if you want the sandwich to hold up longer before serving.
Use shrimp or firm tofu instead of chicken for a different devilled sandwich filling.
Add cashews for crunch, a common addition in devilled dishes at Sri Lankan restaurants.
Serve the devilled chicken open-faced on toast instead of as a closed sandwich for a lighter presentation.
Store the devilled chicken separately from the bread; it keeps refrigerated up to 3 days and reheats well in a hot pan. Assemble sandwiches fresh rather than storing them made up.
Devilled dishes are a Sri Lankan restaurant specialty believed to reflect Chinese and colonial-era influences on the island's short-eats culture, where quick, high-heat wok cooking produces a spicy, tangy sauce distinct from the island's slower-simmered curries.
It refers to a style of cooking meat or seafood with a spicy, tangy sauce built from soy sauce, chile and tomato sauce, stir-fried quickly over high heat rather than simmered like a curry.
Yes — reduce the green chiles to one or omit them, relying on the chili sauce alone for a milder heat that's easier to eat as a handheld sandwich.
The devilled chicken sauce probably wasn't reduced enough before assembling — cook it until thick and glossy, and let it cool slightly before building the sandwich.
Per serving (280g / 9.9 oz) · 4 servings total
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