Crank up the heat as much as you dare - we love ours pretty hot! Pairs beautifully with jeera rice (cumin rice) or steamed basmati rice and a bowl of cooling 10 minute cucumber raita. When it comes to meat main dishes, on weeknights, it’s the hearty chicken curries that win the heart of my family. While both my kids have deep love for north indian curries such as dhaba chicken curry, palak chicken or chicken kali mirch, my husband prefers the ones laced with flavor of tamarind, cococnut and curry leaves in dishes such as chettinad chicken, indian coconut chicken curry and vindaloo chicken.
Chicken Vindaloo - A Love Story (With Heat!)
I have been making vindaloo chicken curry for quite a few years now and it has always hit the right chord with his tastebuds. It isn’t a dish I grew up with, but over time I’ve perfected a version we both love (and I hope you will too!). If you are a spicy food lover, the complex flavors of this dish will entice you! Vindaloo’s journey is a delicious one! It started in Portugal, via a portuguese dish ‘carne de vinha d’alhos’ in which a wine and garlic marinade is prepared for meat. It sailed to Goa,India with Portuguese explorers. There, it got transformed with local spices, hot chilies and vinegar (usually palm vinegar), slowly becoming the fiery vindaloo we know today. However, chicken vindaloo is rarity in Goa. You will find pork vindaloo there. The chicken version is the invention of indian restaurtants. Chicken is marinated in vindaloo masala, a spice paste of vinegar, garlic, ginger, and various spices such as cumin, coriander, and red chili peppers. Thereafter, the marinated chicken is slow cooked in generous amount of oil to make this spicy curry. Do you have to add potatoes? No, they are optional. I think reataurant owners started adding potatoes to simply stretch the quantity of dish. However, I must admit that they are one of the most delicious part of vindaloo experience since they bring a unique texture and absorb the flavorful sauce.
Which Chicken Cut
Vindaloo Paste
Undoubtedly, a well made spice blend is the soul of vindaloo curry. My vindaloo paste recipe takes inspiration from the cookbook “50 curries of India” by Camila Punjabi. She happens to one of my favorite indian food writer. I have adapted her recipe to suit our taste preferences. Vindaloo paste needs to be intensely fiery(though you can make it mild), wonderfully fragrant, pleasantly sour, while at the same time balanced enough so that we can still taste the chicken and potatoes. For the tangy flavors I use vinegar. For the heat, I use dried Kashmiri red chillies. I like to de seed few of the red chillies so that the paste isn’t searing hot. You can use a mild chili variety. The whole spices like black mustard seeds bring in pungency while spices such as cinnamom, star anise and cloves add warmth and aroma. For those of you with limited spices in your pantry, there’s no need to worry. I’ve listed substitutions below to ensure you can still make vindaloo in your kitchen.
Ingredients
Chicken - I use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Read the post above for more of my suggestions. Potatoes - I like using russet potatoes. You could use yukon gold /yellow potatoes. Vinegar - Is a must. I use malt vinegar. Red wine vinegar is a good substitute. Curry Leaves - I purcahse from indian grocery stores. They have a citrus, anise notes when it comes to flavor. There is no substitute. Skip if not available. Avocado Oil - Or any neutral cooking oil. I dont use olive oil for cooking indian food since it interfers with the taste. Tomato Sauce - Authentic vindaloo does not have tomatoes, however many indian restaurants add it. We love the taste so I add a bit of canned tomato in my recipe. Tomato paste can be added too. Kashmiri Chilies- I use a comination of dried red chilies and kashmiri chilli powder. If your use cayenne pepper powder (quantity mentioned below). Whole Spices - Cloves, black mustard seeds, star anise, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds,coriander seeds and whole black pepper. Read below on how to use ground spices for making vindaloo paste. Jaggery - We need a little to balance the tang & heat of vindaloo paste. Use brown sugar instead. Other Ingredients - onions ( I use red onion), fresh garlic (is must) and fresh ginger (avoid using store boughts pastes), salt.
How To Make Vindaloo Chicken
Make The Wet Vindaloo Paste
OR to make vindaloo paste with ground spices, in a bowl, mix together below ingredients :-
¾ tablespoon kashmiri chili powder (or paprika) 1 teaspoon chili powder(hot, or cayenne pepper, adjust to taste) 1 tablespoon garlic paste ½ tablespoon ginger paste 4 tablespoon vinegar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon black pepper powder ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon ground mustard
Marinate the Chicken
Make the Vindaloo Curry
Recipe Tips
Make sure that the potatoes do not turn mushy else they will spoil the sauce. Like most indian curries, vindaloo tastes better after resting for few hours or better yet - next day. Plan leftovers. You could make the vindaloo paste as part of your meal prep over the weekend. Store for 5-6 days in the fridge. Adjust the spice level of vindaloo sauce by reducing or increasing the amount of chilies.
