This Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo Recipe is a traditional Goan dish with fiery red color and a slight tang from the vinegar. It pairs very well with rice or any Indian bread. Here is how to make it just like a Goan Home.
Want to try more South Indian Chicken Recipes, here are some – Coconut Curry Chicken, Malabar Chicken Curry, Kerala Style Chicken Stew, and Mangalorean Chicken Sukka.
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About This Recipe
Vindaloo is an Indian curry that is popular in Goa and the surrounding Konkan region.
This spicy and slightly tangy curry was brought to the region by Portuguese colonists. It was traditionally made with pork but now versions using chicken, prawns, and lamb are also popular.
Fresh tomato puree, garlic, ginger, onions, and whole spices, granted a breathtakingly amazing flavor to Chicken Vindaloo Recipe.
It is a hot and spicy curry that has acidic and vinegar-tinged notes. It has a bright red color and all these together make it different from other Chicken curries.
You can even make a vegetarian version with potatoes, tofu or cottage cheese.
The tang in vindaloo curry comes from the vinegar which along with the spicy dried red chilies is the star ingredient of this dish.
These two ingredients really give this curry a unique taste and make it different from other Goan Chicken Curries.
Traditionally toddy vinegar is used to make this curry but if you do not have access to it, use regular vinegar for the tanginess.
Just like Chicken Tikka Masala, Coconut Curry Chicken, Chicken Angara, Malabar Chicken Curry, Achari Chicken, or Kolhapuri Chicken, this curry also became an instant hit at home.
We relished this toothsome Goan Vindaloo Chicken delicacy with a plateful of Steamed Rice and fresh Laccha Parathas and oh, boy, how much we loved feasting on it!
One serving of this curry has approximately 400 calories. You can reduce the portion size if you are watching your calories. You can even reduce the amount of oil that goes into making this curry.
This Chicken Curry is
- Spicy
- Flavourful
- Customizable
- Easy to make
- Dairy-Free
- Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Chicken – Here, I am making this Vindaloo Curry with Chicken, as this is a favorite version at home. You can use curry cut pieces for this curry.
Vindaloo Paste – We will use an array of spices to make Vindaloo paste. You will need dry red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamom, black peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon, and mustard seeds.
Along with these spices, add in ginger, garlic, vinegar and tamarind paste. Vinegar and Tamarind adds a nice tangy flavor in this paste, which makes it different from other Chicken Curries.
Tomato Paste – Tomatoes adds a nice sweet tangy flavor to the same and also adds to its gravy.
Oil – You can use any vegetable oil to prepare this curry.
Others – Other than this, you will need more basic ingredients such as onion, turmeric powder, salt, and sugar. You can skip sugar but it adds a little hint of sweetness to the curry.
Step By Step Recipe
Dry roast chilies, coriander seeds, whole spices, cumin, and mustard seeds till fragrant and slightly browned. Do this on medium-low heat to get the maximum flavors from the spies and not burning them while roasting.
Blend the roasted spices in a blender along with ginger, garlic, vinegar and tamarind paste to make a smooth paste.
Add little water if required.
Heat oil in pan.
When the oil is hot, add chopped onion and fry till golden brown.
Add chicken and fry on high heat for 3- 4 minutes.
Add tomato puree and the masala paste that we made.
Now add salt, turmeric and water, and cover and cook for 45-50 minutes.
Add sugar and cook for another minute. Chicken vindaloo is ready to be served.
Frequently Asked Questions
The curry when made in Goan homes is quite spicy and you can label it XX Hot. But you can definitely alter the spice level according to your taste buds and can make it mild too.
The number of chilies and the type I have used will give you a medium spicy curry.
It has no dairy in it. Most restaurants serve a very modified version of this dish which is far from the original recipe and I have no clue why?
And they might add cream to their dish. So if you have any allergies, do check with the chef before you order it.
Since no flour is added to the dish, there is no gluten in it and is perfectly fine for the gluten intolerant people to have it.
But in a restaurant, make sure to ask if their version is gluten-free or not.
You can make this curry in an instant pot as well. Dry roast the spices and make a vindaloo paste using spices, vinegar, and chilies.
Now press SAUTE in the instant pot. Add oil. When the oil is hot, add onion and fry until they turn golden brown. Add chicken and fry for 4-5 minutes.
Add the masala paste, tomato puree, salt, turmeric, and water. Close the lid of the Instant Pot and press PRESSURE COOK. Set the timer for 5 minutes.
Let the timer go off and the pressure release on its own for 15 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure and open the lid off the instant pot. Add sugar and mix well.
Traditionally, Goans use Palm or Coconut Toddy Vinegar, but if you cannot find the same you can use either Rice Vinegar or Cider Vinegar. To compensate for the hint of sweetness that palm vinegar provides, you can add in a little sugar just like I did.
Many Goan Hindus even add coconut milk to this Vindaloo Curry, to make it creamy and rich. You can try it too.
Storage Suggestions
Chicken Vindaloo will last for about 2-3 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container.
You can even freeze this curry. Just transfer it in a freezer-safe box and freeze for up to a month.
Thaw it on the counter for 3-4 hours and then reheat with little water until nice and warm before serving.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve Steamed Rice or any Indian bread with Chicken Vindaloo.
In Goa, it is served with a special bread called Poi. You can also serve it with Dinner Rolls, Pav, or even Bread.
It even tastes great with Roti, Tawa Paratha or Laccha Paratha.
Sometimes, I also like to serve it with Dosa or Appam, it tastes just delicious.
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Recipe Card
Chicken Vindaloo Recipe
Ingredients
For Vindaloo Paste
- 10-12 Dry Kashmiri Red Chillies
- 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 3-4 Clove
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2-3 Green Cardamom
- 8-10 Black Peppercorns
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 8-10 cloves Garlic
- 1 inch Ginger (Chopped)
- 1 tbsp Vinegar
- 1 and ½ tbsp Tamarind paste
For the curry
- 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 2 cups Onion (Chopped)
- 750 g Chicken (Curry Cut)
- 1 cup Tomato Puree
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp Sugar
Instructions
- Dry roast red chilies, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, cumin and mustard seeds till fragrant and slightly browned.
- Blend in a blender along with ginger, garlic, vinegar and tamarind paste to make a smooth paste.
- Add little water while making the paste.
- Heat oil in pan.
- When the oil is hot, add chopped onion and fry till golden brown.
- Add chicken and fry on high heat for 3- 4 minutes.
- Add tomato puree and the paste that we made.
- Now add salt, turmeric powder and 1 cup of water and cover and cook for 45-50 minutes.
- Add sugar and cook for another minute.
- Serve hot with steamed rice or Chapati.
