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 1/2 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
- 1/2 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.
Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought
Gorgeous! I can’t wait to try this.
msnehamathur
Thnx Cathy 🙂
Prash@YummilyYours
Such a beautiful red the curry has Neha 🙂
msnehamathur
Thnx Prash
Anwesha
I love your blog. Wonderful recipes there. If you could share some recipes which can be easily made in hostel and does not require a mixer to make pastes like cashewnut paste, I’d be very grateful.
VP
Made this today and loved it. It turned out really good.
Neha Mathur
Happy to hear 🙂
Anu Yalo
Looks really good
Neha Mathur
Thnx. Do try. You will love it.
Andrea
This dish looks amazing. I have all the ingredients to make this tomorrow except for the tamarind paste. Is there a substitute i can use?
Neha Mathur
You can use lemon juice instead. However for next time, do try to source tamarind paste as it gives a very peculiar flavour 🙂
Richard
Lovely dish, thanks for a great recipe 👍
Neha Mathur
Thanks for trying 🙂
Sharad
Appreciate the Authenticity of taste you managed to render on the vindhalho.. Typically the kashmiri red chillies are soaked in vinegar for 30 mins or so before grinding. Prefer home made toddy vinegar / Homemade organic vinegar (made from sugarcane juice) for that extra pungent note.
Neha Mathur
Thnx a lot. Will try soaking the chillies in vinegar next time.
Renee
OMG..I made this today and all I can say is thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!!! I followed it to a T, other than I used all thighs. What a beautiful flavour, and I see myself using this for fish, shrimp or even a veggie dish. Once again thank you, definitely a keeper!!!!!!
Neha Mathur
I am so glad you liked it 🙂
Aashii
Made this today and papa said,” restaurant jaisa bana hai ..!” And true it is. Such a flavorful and easy recipe.
Thank you very much.
Neha Mathur
Thnx a lot for trying 🙂
Rakhee
Can I keep this curry outside (not refrigerated) for 24 hrs or more..
Neha Mathur
These is lot of vinegar in it which should prevent it from spoiling, but I still suggest to refrigerate the curry to e on the safer side.
Anne
This vindaloo was AMAZING – equal quality to the vindaloo I’ve had at the best Indian restaurants.
My only substitutions were to use boneless skinless chicken thighs and add some potatoes.
Thank you for making Indian food approachable for a non-Indian home cook. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!!
Neha Mathur
Thnx a lot Anne for your lovely feedback :). So happy that you liked the recipe.
Roy
Yummilicious
Much appreciated by all who had it
????
Neha Mathur
Thnx a lot for trying and sharing your feedback 🙂
Glen
I made this yesterday! I couldn’t find the Kashmiri chilies at my local Indian grocery (so I used dried dundicuts that were a bit old, no heat) and I think I used too much tamarind concentrate (couldn’t find anything called paste, though I do know about mushing wet tamarind in hot water from Thai cooking), so I’ll try again and refine it a bit more. I used coconut oil instead of veg, and boneless skinless breasts cut in cubes and added only at the last 3 minutes to cook through, but otherwise followed your script exactly. It was a lot of fun to make, the house smells so wonderful, and really delicious when it was finished! Thank you for making Indian cooking accessible to the rest of us!
Neha Mathur
I am so happy you liked the recipe Glen. Keep cooking 🙂
Tammy
This recipe gets 10 stars!!!! I’ve tried many recipes to get the perfect vindaloo! This is the one!!!!!! It is DELICIOUS!! You won’t be disappointed ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Neha Mathur
I am grateful for your kind words Tammy 🙂
Simon Walker
Really good quick and simple recipe
Neha Mathur
Thanks Simon
Heather
I’ve been trying to recreate restaurant vindaloo for literal years – this is the closest I’ve come! Thanks a lot!
A few changes –
– Soak the chilis in vinegar for 30 mins as another poster suggested; add these straight to the blender
– Cook the onions to golden brown; add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more; blend onions in addition to the other blender ingredients for a smoother consistency
– Sub chicken stock for water and reduce salt
– Sub ghee for oil
– Rub chicken in 1-2 cloves minced garlic, pinky of minced ginger, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chili powder; leave 20 minutes before cooking
Thanks again, fantastic!
Neha Mathur
Good to hear this and thanks for mentioning your variations 🙂
Alexander Clayton
Best vindaloo I ever had, and I like my Indians! Bit more awkward done the other recipes and some of the ingredients where a bit more unusual but it was worth the extra effort.
Neha Mathur
Happy to hear 🙂
Helen
I just made this and it is delicious but next time I’m going to use ground coriander, mustard and cumin instead as I didn’t find the blender ground them enough and found the sauce too bitty but a great recipe all the same. Thanks
Neha Mathur
That’s a great alternative. Do try and let me know the feedback. Thanks
Dennis
Amazing is the only word to describe it, I tried it and the results were finger licking good. Only thing I would suggest is to first grind the dry ingredients separately and then with the wet ingredients, as the grind is not very fine if ground together.
Neha Mathur
Thanks for the feedback.
Brent
Green or black cardamom for this recipe?
Neha Mathur
It’s green cardamom. You can see them in the step by step instructions 🙂
Jennifer
This takes me straight back to the Indian restaurant that I worked at years ago. The spice blend is on point and I love it!! I made a vegetarian, super mild version for a friend it was just as delicious as chicken and lamb. I pre cooked my veg and just cooked the paste, onion, tomato purée, salt and turmeric for 45 min and added the salt and cooked veg and a can of drained chicken peas. I let it sit and marry for and hour off the heat before serving. To make it ultra mild I subbed paprika for the chili’s. The 3 year old loved it!!
Neha Mathur
So happy that you lied this recipe Jennifer 🙂
Jigna
Halved the recipe, used boneless chicken thighs and forgot to dry roast the spices. Still turned out amazing! Cant wait to try it again with the dry roast. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Neha Mathur
Good to know 🙂
sudeepa
hi i want to try the recipe but do not have toddy vinegar, i have plain regular syntgetic vinegar. Will that work?
Neha Mathur
Yes, you can use it.
Barbara
It is perfect! I didn’t use a blender but a mortar. That’s also good for your muscles 🙂 Also you can still find a tiny piece of cinamon here or there, which I really love as a little surprise.
THANK YOU very much! I can’t keep tasting now since I have made it for visitors… there will be nothing left…. 😉
NB I have added a little fenugreek too
Neha Mathur
Happy to hear 🙂
sarah levett-yeats
Thank you for sharing your recipe ???? stunning flavour.
Neha Mathur
Glad that you liked it.
Derek Thomas
Oh wow – this was so good. I was a little apprehensive as I didn’t have all the ingedients to hand so made some substitutions. I didn’t have tamarind so used amchoor instead and I used a carton (500g) of passata in place of the tomato purée so didn’t add the cup of water. Anyway – the result was truly delicious – thank you so much. I’ll risk a few extra chillies next time. I’ve also just seen the suggestion of adding fenugreek in an earlier feedback – think I’ll give that a go too…
Neha Mathur
Good to know Derek 🙂
Sylvia
What can I substitute for the chillies? I don’t have Indian grocers nearby. There’s really asian tiny red peppers 🌶 or red pepper flakes.
Also if I’m allergic to cinnamon can I substitute?
Thanks!
Neha Mathur
You can skip adding cinnamon and for the red chillies, use any pepper that you have.
Carrie
I received pre-made Vindaloo spice from Reluctant Trading Co. as a gift. Which ingredients would I remove from your recipe in order to use the pre-made spice blend? Put another way, can I use pre-mixed Vindaloo spice in your recipe and if so, how much would I use and what, if any, ingredients would I remove from your recipe? If you don’t know, I can just “wing it” and let you know. Thank you!
Neha Mathur
Hi Carrie, each brand has its own ratio of ingredients for spice mixes. It’s very difficult for me to tell how much of this particular one should you use. I always recommend making the recipes from scratch because that taste cannot be achieved using readymade spice mixes.