OMG is that Nessie in my curry?

please don't eat me....

I made curried octopi and this particular sight caught me. I thought it was kinda cute in a grotesque sort of way. Maybe it'll turn some of you back into vegetarians. :P

Anyway, even though i used octopus instead of cuttlefish, it tastes just the same as a 'sotong' curry from Malaysia. I guess it must be the curry powder for curry fish my mom sent me. The whole apartment smelled like a mamak's place, even my partner who craves mamak food said "Omg...the smell really reminds me of Pelita [this mamak place we often frequent when he was there]". For the Octopi curry, I used:
1/4 cup of curry base (onions, garlic, ginger)
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of fennel
1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
1 star anise
3 cloves
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 cup curry powder for fish
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons oil
5 octopus
2 tomatoes, halved
1 medium sized eggplant, chunks

Method:
1. Heat oil in pan and add all the ingredients in except water, octopi, tomatoes and eggplant. Saute until fragrant for about 8 mins.
2. Add water and let it come to a simmer before you add your eggplant.
3. After that, add your octopi in and tomatoes, cooked for 10 mins under medium heat.
4. Scoop out your octopi and tomatoes and let the broth simmer under low heat for another 10 mins.
5. Serve your octopi curry with rice and freshly sliced cucumbers.