Vindaloo Cooking Sauce Recipe

Toast whole spices

Place a dry skillet over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chilies, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and coriander seeds. Toast, stirring or shaking the pan often, for 2–3 minutes until the spices are aromatic and the chilies darken slightly. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Grind spice mixture

Transfer the toasted spices (discard the cinnamon stick if it seems too woody, or break it into smaller pieces) to a spice grinder or high-speed blender. Add turmeric powder and smoked paprika. Pulse to a fine powder. If using a mortar and pestle, work in batches until finely ground.

Make the paste

In the blender or food processor with the ground spices, add garlic cloves, chopped ginger, white or red wine vinegar, water, brown sugar, sea salt, and tomato paste. Blend until a smooth, thick paste forms — about 1–2 minutes. Scrape down sides and add up to 1/4 cup vegetable stock or more water if the paste is too stiff; the paste should be spreadable but concentrated.

Temper oil and bloom spices

Heat the 3 tbs vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When shimmering, add the freshly ground dry-spice powder (if any residue remains) and the blended paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes until the raw garlic smell softens and the oil separates slightly from the paste. This blooms the spices and deepens flavor.

Simmer sauce

Add the remaining 1/2 cup water and the 1/2 cup vinegar to the pan, stirring to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken and concentrate; if it becomes too thick, add up to 1/4 cup more stock or water to reach desired consistency.

Adjust seasoning and finish

Taste and adjust salt, acidity and sweetness: add up to 1/2 tsp more salt, a splash of vinegar if brighter acidity is needed, or another 1/2 tbs brown sugar if you prefer milder heat. Stir in 1 tsp coconut oil or ghee for sheen and rounded flavor. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Store or use

Use the vindaloo sauce immediately to marinate 1–1.5 kg of meat or vegetables for 1–24 hours before cooking (reserve some sauce to add during cooking), or let cool fully and store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months in portions.