Vindaloo Recipe

Vindaloo is a conventional Indian curry that’s not for the faint hearted! Chunks of beef are slow-cooked to tender perfection in a fiery-red sauce full of large, daring curry flavours. Is it spicy? Heck sure, appropriately! For critical curry lovers, it’s laborious to high this.

Serve with naan for mopping and yogurt to chill that fireplace.

Vindaloo is a conventional tomato-based curry gifted to the world from Goa, a sunny pocket of paradise on the Western coast of India.

The origins of Vindaloo will be traced again to the time when Portugal dominated Goa within the sixteenth century. In actual fact, the identify Vindaloo comes from carne de vinha d’alhos, a Portuguese dish of pork, wine, and garlic. Native cooks added a stack of spices, switched the wine for vinegar, and that’s how Vindaloo as we all know it at the moment happened (in a nutshell!)

A staple of Indian restaurant menus all over the world, this curry is one for spicy meals lovers!! 🌶 Vindaloo is beloved for its fiery warmth and intense sauce, which packs a beneficiant mixture of spices and is sharpened with whack of vinegar. It may be made with most proteins, together with lamb, goat, pork, prawns, chicken and you can even do a vegetarian quantity.

Whereas pork is definitely conventional, right here in Australia beef is the preferred model in Indian eating places in order that’s what I’m sharing at the moment. Chunks of meat are slow-cooked for 2 hours within the Vindaloo sauce till it’s so tender it simply yields to the contact of a spoon!

Not like the easygoing and luscious Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala, Vindaloo is a swinging punch to the pinnacle! Loads of Kashmiri chilli powder – a key spice in Vindaloo – brings flavour, warmth and the famously wealthy pink color to the curry. There’s additionally heat spices within the type of cumin, coriander, cardamom, somewhat cinnamon and some others. Lastly, a definite tang from vinegar is a signature Vindaloo flavour that balances the curry and offers it spine.

It’s sturdy, scorching and intense! For those who’re questioning how spicy it truly is, I’d say it’s an 7 out of 10. Those that are accustomed to spicy meals will little question scoff this down with out breaking a sweat. I’ll discuss a giant chilli-heat sport however I can’t truly deal with very spicy meals, and I don’t discover this Vindaloo brutally scorching.

So for you spice-wimps on the market? Don’t fear, see the recipe notes for decrease the Scoville models on this dish! 😂

Let’s undergo what you want to make this wonderful curry! First, the Vindaloo curry paste which is used to marinate the meat and assist kind the sauce. (Different proteins are lined within the recipe notes.)

1. The meat and the curry paste marinade

• Spices – Most of those spices are pretty accessible lately within the spice part of huge grocery shops in Australia. The 2 exceptions are Kashmiri chilli and fenugreek seeds – see subsequent factors;

• Kashmiri chilli – That is an Indian chilli that could be a little smoky in addition to spicy. The Kashmiri chilli offers the curry sauce its signature vibrant pink color and chilli warmth.

  Discover at: Indian* and a few Asian grocery shops (some have Indian sections). Consider it or not, it’s additionally bought at some Coles grocery shops (Indian part).

  Additionally utilized in: Goan Fish Curry, Tandoori Chicken.

  Greatest substitute: It’s a key ingredient (we use 6 tablespoons!) so I actually urge you to take the time to search out it. However for those who can’t and also you’re determined to do that dish (I don’t blame you!), substitute with a mixture of candy paprika + smoked paprika + chilli powder (pure chilli powder, not US Chili Powder which is a mix) / cayenne pepper.

• Fenugreek seeds – One other Indian particular cooking spice that truly form of smells like maple syrup, although doesn’t style prefer it when uncooked.

  Discover it at some Harris Farms, or Indian* and a few Asian grocery shops (some have Indian sections). Use leftover for Palak Paneer!

  Can’t discover it? Simply go away it out.

• Beef chuck– A cost-effective minimize of beef that’s finest sluggish cooked till tender. Attempt to get it in a block piece so you possibly can minimize the items your self. Most butchers and grocery shops minimize it too small so the items prepare dinner too rapidly, earlier than the sauce develops sufficient flavour.

  Various beef: Boneless ribs will even work as would beef osso bucco (use 1.2kg / 2.4lb together with bone, preserve them entire, the meat will fall off in items as soon as sluggish cooked). If you will get effectively marbled brisket, that will even work however I discover a brisket a bit stringy cooked in stew-like kind.

  Different proteins – Gradual cooking cuts of lamb (mutton), goat and pork. Chicken will work too however the prepare dinner time must be shortened. See recipe notes;

• Sugar – Only a contact to stability out the vinegar; and

• Garlic and ginger – Recent, simply roughly chopped as a result of it’s blitzed up with the spices to make the curry paste.

* I am going to the Indian Emporium in Dee Why, Sydney.

2. Different elements within the Vindaloo Sauce

A lot of the curry flavour of the Vindaloo Sauce comes from the Vindaloo Curry Paste (above) used to marinade the meat. However there’s a couple of further elements we use to pep up the bottom of the sauce flavour:

• Beef inventory – Inventory or broth moderately than water so as to add better depth of flavour into the Vindaloo curry sauce. I did attempt with simply water, however discovered the sauce a bit missing.

  Ordinarily I’m an advocate of utilizing the very best quality beef inventory inside your funds as a result of producers are but to efficiently mass-produce low cost beef inventory to a good degree of high quality. Nonetheless on this case, common retailer purchased beef inventory or broth is okay as a result of by the spices are the dominant flavour right here! However you get bonus factors for those who use home made beef inventory. I exploit home made once I’m making to impress. 😇

• Curry leaves – It smells like curry powder, however in recent curry leaf kind! (Although simply so you understand, curry powder isn’t derived from curry leaves 🙂) Curry leaves add unimaginable curry fragrance into something it’s utilized in in a approach that may’t be replicated with powders. Pretty accessible these days for Sydney-siders, bought at Harris Farms, most Coles and Woolworths. I’ve a plant! 

  Retailer leftovers within the fridge (a number of weeks) or freeze for months.

  Additionally utilized in: Eggplant Curry, Dal, Vegetable Samosa Pie, Cabbage Thoran.  Throw in 10 or so when cooking Curried Rice, or into this Indian Chickpea Curry or Vegetable Curry – it’ll actually take it to a brand new degree! 

  Substitute: dried curry leaves (not fairly the identical, nevertheless it’s the very best sub) or Garam Masala powder;

• Ghee (or butter) – The fats utilized in Indian cooking which provides an intense buttery flavour. Ghee is mainly the identical factor as clarified butter. That is merely regular butter however with milk solids and water eliminated, abandoning pure butter fats.

  You may both make your personal Ghee (it’s cheaper, very easy and retains for months), purchase it, or simply use regular butter;

• Black mustard seeds – they appear like poppyseeds however have a slight wasabi-like chunk to them. They usually odor Indian, not Japanese! Not spicy, extra a recent zing.  It’s about $1.50 in small packs at Indian grocery shops – I am going to Indian Emporium in Dee Why on the Northern Seashores, Sydney. Additionally bought within the Indian meals part at some Woolworths (Australia) $1.70, and on-line – small, gentle pack so postage must be minimal! 

  Additionally utilized in:  Eggplant Curry, Dal, Vegetable Samosa Pie, Cabbage Thoran; and

• Ginger and garlic – It’s uncommon to see an Indian recipe that don’t embody these, and Vindaloo isn’t any exception!

Vindaloo begins with a curry paste made by blitzing or grinding a beneficiant quantity of chilli and spices, recent garlic and ginger. That is then used to marinate beef earlier than earlier than sluggish cooking in a sauce till the meat is fall-apart-tender.

1. Vindaloo curry paste beef marinade

1. Vindaloo Curry Paste – Place the curry paste elements in a small meals processor or Nutribullet (pictured) and blitz till it turns into a paste. We use a little bit of water which makes it straightforward to mix till clean;

2. Marinate beef – Pour the Vindaloo curry paste over the meat, then marinate for two hours minimal. As much as 24 hours is okay, nevertheless it doesn’t make the top outcome any higher as a result of the spice flavour is so sturdy it penetrates into the meat items in the course of the sluggish cooking time.

2. Making the Vindaloo curry sauce base

1. Make sauce base – The Vindaloo curry sauce begins by sautéing garlic, ginger and onion earlier than including the black mustard seeds which is able to sizzle and pop dramatically. Then we prepare dinner off the tomato paste (this takes off the uncooked edge) earlier than mixing within the beef inventory;

2. Switch to jug – I then switch the combination in a jug so the combination will be pureed with a stick blender. That is essential as a result of there’s not sufficient quantity to do that within the pot as a result of the pinnacle of the stick blender received’t be submerged. Belief me, I attempted – and ended up with most of it on my face!!

3. Puree – The use a stick blender to puree till clean. You possibly can do that step in a blender or meals processor too. The aim right here is to puree the onion, garlic and ginger till clean which releases flavour and makes the sauce clean. I didn’t do that for earlier variations of the recipe (and plenty of recipes on-line don’t name for this) however as soon as I added this step, the Vindaloo Sauce flavour noticeably improved;

4. Again into pot – Then pour the sauce again into the pot, and we’re able to proceed with sluggish cooking the meat!

3. Gradual prepare dinner beef till tender

I love to do the sluggish cooking step within the oven as a result of it’s fully arms off. No stirring, no want to fret in regards to the base catching. But when may also be executed on a really low warmth on the range.

1. Add beef – Add the meat and each scrap of marinade into the pot with the pureed sauce;

2. Stir and produce to a simmer;

3. Gradual prepare dinner – Then switch to the oven and prepare dinner for two hours. That is the size of time wanted to make 3cm / 1.2″ cubes of chuck beef “fall-apart-tender” and for the sauce to thicken, develop flavour and darken in color to the signature vibrant pink color.

   The oven temperature is 190°C/375°F (170°C customary) which sounds larger than you may count on. However that is the temperature that replicates a low warmth on the range. For those who take a peek within the pot halfway by cooking, you’ll see that the floor of the liquid is barely effervescent – if in any respect – which is strictly what you need. I exploit this similar temperature for different sluggish cooked stew-type issues akin to Beef Bourguignon, Massaman Lamb Shanks. For different dishes, I’ll prepare dinner for longer at a decrease warmth the place they profit from the longer prepare dinner instances.

4. Able to serve! If you take it out of the oven, the sauce must be a deep pink color (so long as you didn’t skimp on the kashmiri chilli!), thickened so it coats the meat items, and the meat must be tender sufficient to chop into with a fork. If not, simply cowl and stick it again within the oven!

Serve over basmati rice which is the normal rice for Indian meals, although any kind of plain rice will work high quality right here (white, jasmine, brown, or low-carb cauliflower rice). Add a dollop of plain yogurt which is able to cool the spiciness and a sprinkle of coriander/cilantro (for freshness).

Full your Indian menu!

And for those who’re going all out, full your Indian feast with:

• Samosas to start out. Golden parcels of crispy pastry stuffed with spiced potato, this Indian avenue meals is a well-liked starter in Indian eating places all over the world. This recipe is enjoyable to make and ridiculously good!

• Parkoras – One other starter possibility. Vegetable fritters – the Indian approach!

• Selfmade Naan (it’s naturally no knead!) – The entire RecipeTin workforce bought concerned arising with what we predict is the very best naan {that a} house prepare dinner could make on the range, simply in case you occur to not have a tandoor sitting in the midst of your kitchen! It’s fluffy with the signature chewiness identical to you get at eating places, and also you’d by no means mistake this for one more fundamental flatbread. No yeast? Make this easy No Yeast Flatbread as a substitute!

Apparently, Indian meals doesn’t have facet salads like we do in Western nations. My idea is as a result of vegetarian meals is so prevalent in Indian cooking. Nonetheless, listed here are some vegetable sides that I feel work effectively with Indian themed menus:

Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

Cabbage & Carrot Thoran-style Indian Salad

Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Dressing

Shredded Pink Cabbage, Carrot and Mint Salad

So, fellow curry lovers, what do you consider my newest addition to my Indian curry assortment?? Will you give it a go? Suppose you possibly can deal with the warmth?? 🌶🌶🌶 – Johnsat x

Vindaloo Recipe

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 2 hours 2 hours

Nutrition facts: 441 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 800g / 1.6 lb beef chuck , cut into 3cm / 1.2″ cubes (Note 1)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder – TEST spiciness before using! (Note 2)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 3 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 cloves
• 4 cardamom pods (green)
• 2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger , roughly chopped
• 10 garlic cloves (yes, 10!)
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (Note 3)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 7 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 50g / 3 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter (Note 4)
• 1 onion , finely chopped (brown, yellow, white)
• 2 tsp ginger , finely grated
• 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds (Note 5)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 10 curry leaves , fresh (Note 6)
• 2 cups beef stock , low sodium (if using homemade, add 1/2 tsp salt)
• 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Salt beef: Toss beef in salt.
2. Check spiciness of kashmiri chilli powder and adjust if desired. See Spiciness Note below.
3. Curry Paste: Place Curry Paste ingredients in a Nutribullet or small food processor with 1 cup of the water. Blitz until smooth. Pour over beef. Pour remaining 1 cup water into Nutribullet, shake (to clean out remaining curry paste), then pour/scrape over beef.
4. Marinate beef: Mix beef in curry paste, cover, then marinate 2 hours. (Note: marinade is fairly thin – the water cooks down during slow cooking.)
5. Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F (170°C fan).
6. Curry sauce: Melt ghee over medium high. Cook onion, ginger and garlic until they become translucent – about 3 minutes.
7. Mustard seeds: Add black mustard seeds then cook until onion is tinged with gold. Stir in tomato paste, cook 1 minute.
8. Puree sauce: Add beef stock, stir. Transfer into a jug then use a stick blender to puree until smooth. Pour back into the pot.
9. Add beef: Add beef and curry leaves, stir then bring to boil.
10. Slow cook: Cover with a lid, then place in the oven for 2 hours or until beef is fall apart tender and the sauce has darkened in colour and thickened. (See Note 7 if sauce hasn't reduced enough).
11. Serve: Garnish with coriander, then serve over basmati rice with a side of naan!

Notes

Spiciness of this dish –  7 to 8 out of 10 on the spiciness scale! Not blow-your-head-off but it’s pretty spicy! 
SPICE CONTROL: Spiciness in this comes from Kashmiri.Strongly advised to taste the Kashmiri chilli before using because not all kashmiri is created equal, some is spicier than others and brands DO NOT specify spiciness. Kashmiri chilli typically available in Australia is medium level of spiciness (about 1/4 to 1/3 strength of black pepper) BUT sometimes outliers are extremely spicy. If it is very spicy and you’re worried, reduce spiciness per directions below.
Reduce spiciness by reducing Kashmiri. For every 1 tablespoon for Kashmiri you reduce, replace with 1 teaspoon of SWEET/REGULAR paprika + 1 teaspoon of SMOKED paprika (not spicy, has a smoky flavour like Kashmiri chilli). Stir in chilli powder (pure chilli, not US chilli powder mix) or cayenne pepper at the end if you want it spicier. Note: curry colour won’t be as red as redness comes from Kashmiri. Can compensate with a drop or two or red food colouring, if desperate!
1. Beef – Beef chuck works well because it’s a tough cut that becomes “fall apart tender” after slow cooking. Boneless ribs will also work as would beef osso bucco (use 1.2kg / 2.4lb inc bone, keep them whole, the meat will fall off in pieces once slow cooked). If you can get well marbled brisket, that will also work but I find a brisket a bit stringy cooked in stew-like form.
Other proteins – Lamb shoulder and pork shoulder will work too. For chicken, use about 1 kg / 2lb bone in chicken thighs but remove the skin. Cut in half along bone (equal size pieces). Make recipe as written except cook in oven for 50 minutes. Remove chicken pieces (make sure they are pretty tender), then simmer sauce on stove (very low heat) to reduce and thicken sauce (see video for how it should look, ~ 30 min I think). Return chicken into pot, serve!
2. Kashmiri chilli – TASTE IT before using quantity per recipe. Wet finger, lightly press into Kashmiri and taste. Super spicy? Start with less – you can always add more at the end. The one I get is about 1/4 to 1/3 the spiciness of black pepper.
Kashmiri is a spicy, smokey Indian chilli powder that gives this curry the red colour plus spiciness. Sub with 4 tbsp smoked paprika + 1 tsp chilli powder (not US Chili Powder which is a blend) or cayenne pepper. Pretty close flavour but, you won’t get quite the same red colour. Find at Indian store (I go to Indian Emporium in Dee Why, Sydney).
Also used in: Goan Fish Curry, Tandoori Chicken
3. Fenugreek seeds – Available at stores that carry a decent range of spices. I found it at Harris Farms (Australia). Also, of course, at Indian grocery stores! Use leftover for Palak Paneer.
4. Ghee is clarified butter, one of the traditional fats used in Indian cooking. It is simply butter without the water and milk solids, so you have pure butter fat, it has a more intense flavour than butter. Either buy it, make it (easy and keeps for months) or just use normal butter!
5. Black mustard seeds – key ingredient for authentic flavour. Look like poppyseeds, wasabi bite, Indian aroma! ~ $1.50 in small packs at Indian grocery stores (my local is Indian Emporium in Dee Why, Sydney). Also sold in the Indian food section at some Woolworths (Australia) $1.70, otherwise try online. Also used in:  Eggplant Curry, Dal, Vegetable Samosa Pie, Cabbage Thoran
Substitutes (starting with best): Brown mustard seeds, yellow mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard powder*, 1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala (different flavour, but is intended to make up for absence)
6. Fresh curry leaves – key ingredient for authentic flavour! Sub dried curry leaves. Fairly accessible nowadays for Sydney-siders, sold at Harris Farms, most Coles and Woolworths. Store leftovers in fridge (weeks) or freezer (months). Also used in: Eggplant Brinjal Curry, Vegetable Samosa Pie, Cabbage Thoran (seriously good!), Lentil curry
Substitute: dried curry leaves, 1.5 tsp Garam Masala powder (add it with rest of spices, different flavour but compensates).
7. Sauce thickness – If the sauce is not darker and thicker at the end of the slow cooking time, then just reduce on the stove on low heat with the lid off. This can happen if you didn’t use a heavy based pot like a dutch oven (heat retention is better = sauce cooks as intended).
8. Slow cooker / pressure cooker / Instant Pot – Won’t work for this, I’m afraid. Really need the oven to caramelise the edges and surface of the sauce which makes it darken and adds flavour, plus some evaporation which helps thicken the sauce. Slow cooker just won’t taste as good.
9. Storage – Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. But I find with curries (unlike Western stews) they are best eaten on the day, or the next day. After this, the intensity of the spice flavours will start to fade.
10. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings. Excludes rice.

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Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

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