Heat a large saucepan or shallow pot over medium heat. Add vegetable oil and when hot, add the chopped onion. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until translucent and lightly golden. Add minced garlic and grated ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Bloom spices

Stir in curry powder, turmeric and ground coriander. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes to bloom the spices and remove raw taste. Add tomato paste and cook another 1 minute, stirring to combine.

Add liquids

Pour in the coconut milk and stock, stirring to fully combine and scrape any browned bits from the bottom. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

Season curry

Add soy sauce (or fish sauce), brown sugar, salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more salt or sugar as desired. Let the curry simmer gently while you prepare the vegetables, about 5 minutes so flavors meld.

Main — cuttlefish balls & vegetables

Cook potatoes and carrots

While the curry base simmers, place the baby potatoes in a pot of salted water and simmer until just tender, about 10–12 minutes depending on size. In the last 4 minutes of the potatoes' cooking time, add the sliced carrots to blanch them. Drain and set aside.

Add vegetables to curry

Add the par-cooked potatoes, carrots, green beans and red bell pepper to the simmering curry. Stir to coat with sauce. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through but still have some bite.

Heat cuttlefish balls

Add the 8 cuttlefish balls to the pot in the last 3–4 minutes of cooking. If the cuttlefish balls are raw or require longer cooking, adjust time per package instructions. Stir gently to heat through and allow them to absorb some curry flavor.

Finish with lime & herbs

Once everything is cooked, remove from heat and stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Optional garnish & serve

Ladle the curry with cuttlefish balls and vegetables into bowls. Top with sliced red chili and fried shallots if using. Serve immediately with steamed rice or flatbread and lime wedges on the side.