Recipe Background
Chicken Vindaloo stems from a fusion of Indian and Portuguese cuisines and has become a spicy staple in Indian restaurants around the world. It's just the dish you need to get you fired up this winter! Chicken Vindaloo marinates in a tangy, spicy sauce with notes of smokiness, sweetness, and sharpness to highlight its delicious savory flavors. Serve this over naan or rice for a complete meal.
Chicken Vindaloo stems from a fusion of Indian and Portuguese cuisines and has become a spicy staple in Indian restaurants around the world. It's just the dish you need to get you fired up this winter! Chicken Vindaloo marinates in a tangy, spicy sauce with notes of smokiness, sweetness, and sharpness to highlight its delicious savory flavors. Serve this over naan or rice for a complete meal.
Ingredients
For the vindaloo paste:
- 20 dried red chiles
- 3 tablespoons malt or red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water hot
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 10 peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 (2-3-inch-long) fresh cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 green cardamoms optional
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 (1-1/2-inch-long) piece ginger
For the vindaloo:
- 2 pounds chicken bone-in
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 3/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 onions optional, finely chopped or processed
- 1 tablespoon malt vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tomatoes optional, puréed
- 1/4 cup water hot, optional, plus more, to taste
Directions
- Remove the seeds from the red chiles.
- In a medium bowl, soak the chilies in 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and 3 tablespoons of the hot water.
- In a blender jar, add the coriander seeds, the cumin, the peppercorns, the mustard seeds, the cinnamon stick, the cloves, and the cardamoms. Blend the spice mixture into a fine powder.
- Add the garlic, the ginger, and the soaked chiles (making sure to reserve the soaking liquid). Pulse until well blended.
- Add the vinegar/water soaking mixture and blend until a smooth paste forms.
- In a resealable plastic bag, add the chicken, prepared vindaloo paste, the turmeric, and the salt. Massage the chicken so everything is coated in the spices and the paste.
- Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium heat.
- Sauté the onions until golden-brown, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and 1 teaspoon of the sugar to the onions.
- Add the marinated chicken and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the puréed tomatoes and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the extra hot water. If the chicken releases a lot of liquid, you don't need to add as much of the water. Alternatively, if you prefer a drier curry, you can skip adding in the water.
- Cover the pot and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through and fork-tender, about 6 minutes. The chicken should register at 165 degrees F in its thicket part (not touching the bone) with a meat thermometer. The chicken should fall off the bone when pricked with a fork. The sauce should be thick and somewhat dry.
- Serve.
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