Portuguese-Style Chicken Vindaloo
Portuguese-Style Chicken Vindaloo
Ingredients
For the Chicken Vindaloo
- 1 kg chicken curry cuts, with bones or boneless
- 300 g onions, sliced
- 30 g fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 40 g garlic cloves
- 60 ml white wine vinegar
- 30 g fresh tamarind pulp
- 4-5 fresh green chillies, adjust to taste
- 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 inches cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, for tempering
- 10-12 fresh curry leaves, optional
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- to taste salt
- as needed hot water
- as needed oil
For the Vindaloo Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 3 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 6-7 hot dried red chillies
Instructions
- 1
In a heavy-bottomed pan, add 3 teaspoons cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon mustard seeds. Gently toast the spices on a low flame until they develop a slight color and release a nice aroma.
⏱️ 5 min
- 2
Immediately transfer the toasted spices out of the pan into a bowl and let them cool down completely. Once cooled, transfer the spices into a spice grinder. Add 6-7 hot dried red chillies to the grinder and grind them into a fine powder. This is your Vindaloo Spice Mix.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
In a separate grinder jar, add 4-5 fresh green chillies, 30 grams peeled and roughly chopped ginger, 40 grams peeled garlic cloves, 30 grams fresh tamarind pulp, and 60 ml white wine vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of the freshly made Vindaloo Spice Mix to the jar. Grind these ingredients into a fine paste.
⏱️ 10 min
- 4
Take 1 kg chicken curry cuts. Apply deep cuts to the chicken pieces. For drumsticks, it's important to cut the tendon at the end to prevent the muscle from tightening during cooking, ensuring the chicken remains juicy and tender. Place the chicken in a bowl.
⏱️ 5 min
- 5
Add the prepared Vindaloo paste to the chicken. Coat the chicken pieces thoroughly with the marinade. Leave the marinated chicken in the fridge for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to penetrate deeply.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add 2 inches cinnamon sticks and 1 teaspoon mustard seeds to the hot oil. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add 300 grams sliced onions to the pan. Stir and fry the onions on a medium flame for about 5-6 minutes, stirring continuously, until they become translucent and start to pick up a little color. Do not over-caramelize them at this stage, as the chicken juices will continue to cook them.
⏱️ 6 min
- 7
Add the marinated chicken to the pan with the onions. Pour in all the leftover marinade from the bowl. Sear the chicken from all sides on a medium flame to lock in the juices.
⏱️ 7 min
- 8
Once the chicken is nicely seared, reduce the gas setting to the lowest. Add 2 teaspoons red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Stir the chicken vindaloo to combine the spices. Cook the powdered spices for no more than 30 to 40 seconds to prevent burning.
⏱️ 2 min
- 9
Deglaze the pan by adding hot water (from the grinder jar used for the paste, to rinse out any remaining paste) to the curry. Season the chicken vindaloo with salt to taste. Stir everything well. Cover the pan and simmer on a low/gentle flame for about 5-6 minutes. Continue simmering for a total of 7-8 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through and the meat has started to come off the bones.
⏱️ 8 min
- 10
Once the chicken is fully cooked, sprinkle a little more of the prepared Vindaloo Spice Mix over the curry. Stir in 10-12 fresh curry leaves (optional). Give it a final mix. The Chicken Vindaloo is now ready to serve.
⏱️ 2 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Portuguese-Style Chicken Vindaloo
For the Chicken Vindaloo
- 1 kg chicken curry cuts, with bones or boneless
- 300 g onions, sliced
- 30 g fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 40 g garlic cloves
- 60 ml white wine vinegar
- 30 g fresh tamarind pulp
- 4-5 fresh green chillies, adjust to taste
- 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 inches cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, for tempering
- 10-12 fresh curry leaves, optional
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- to taste salt
- as needed hot water
- as needed oil
For the Vindaloo Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 3 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 6-7 hot dried red chillies
Instructions
- 1
In a heavy-bottomed pan, add 3 teaspoons cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon mustard seeds. Gently toast the spices on a low flame until they develop a slight color and release a nice aroma.
⏱️ 5 min - 2
Immediately transfer the toasted spices out of the pan into a bowl and let them cool down completely. Once cooled, transfer the spices into a spice grinder. Add 6-7 hot dried red chillies to the grinder and grind them into a fine powder. This is your Vindaloo Spice Mix.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
In a separate grinder jar, add 4-5 fresh green chillies, 30 grams peeled and roughly chopped ginger, 40 grams peeled garlic cloves, 30 grams fresh tamarind pulp, and 60 ml white wine vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of the freshly made Vindaloo Spice Mix to the jar. Grind these ingredients into a fine paste.
⏱️ 10 min - 4
Take 1 kg chicken curry cuts. Apply deep cuts to the chicken pieces. For drumsticks, it's important to cut the tendon at the end to prevent the muscle from tightening during cooking, ensuring the chicken remains juicy and tender. Place the chicken in a bowl.
⏱️ 5 min - 5
Add the prepared Vindaloo paste to the chicken. Coat the chicken pieces thoroughly with the marinade. Leave the marinated chicken in the fridge for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to penetrate deeply.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add 2 inches cinnamon sticks and 1 teaspoon mustard seeds to the hot oil. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add 300 grams sliced onions to the pan. Stir and fry the onions on a medium flame for about 5-6 minutes, stirring continuously, until they become translucent and start to pick up a little color. Do not over-caramelize them at this stage, as the chicken juices will continue to cook them.
⏱️ 6 min - 7
Add the marinated chicken to the pan with the onions. Pour in all the leftover marinade from the bowl. Sear the chicken from all sides on a medium flame to lock in the juices.
⏱️ 7 min - 8
Once the chicken is nicely seared, reduce the gas setting to the lowest. Add 2 teaspoons red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Stir the chicken vindaloo to combine the spices. Cook the powdered spices for no more than 30 to 40 seconds to prevent burning.
⏱️ 2 min - 9
Deglaze the pan by adding hot water (from the grinder jar used for the paste, to rinse out any remaining paste) to the curry. Season the chicken vindaloo with salt to taste. Stir everything well. Cover the pan and simmer on a low/gentle flame for about 5-6 minutes. Continue simmering for a total of 7-8 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through and the meat has started to come off the bones.
⏱️ 8 min - 10
Once the chicken is fully cooked, sprinkle a little more of the prepared Vindaloo Spice Mix over the curry. Stir in 10-12 fresh curry leaves (optional). Give it a final mix. The Chicken Vindaloo is now ready to serve.
⏱️ 2 min