Chicken Vindaloo

written by The Recipe Exchange | September 3, 2022

Ingredients

For the vindaloo paste:
20 dried red chilies
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
2 inches fresh cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 green cardamoms, optional
10 cloves garlic
1-1/2-inch 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 or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tomatoes, optional, pureed
1/4 cup water, hot, optional, plus more to taste

Directions

Remove the seeds from the red chilies. In a medium bowl, soak the chilies in 3 tablespoons vinegar and 3 tablespoons of hot water.

In a blender jar, add the coriander seeds, cumin, peppercorns, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamoms. Blend the spice mixture into a fine powder.

Add the garlic, ginger, and soaked chilies (making sure to reserve the soaking liquid). Pulse until 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, turmeric, and salt. Massage the chicken so everything is coated in the spices and 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 vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar to the onions. Add the marinated chicken and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Add the hot water to taste. If the chicken releases lots 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.

Taste for seasoning and serve.