Vindaloo Recipe

Toast whole spices

Warm a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, black peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cloves and the cinnamon stick. Toast, shaking the pan, until fragrant and slightly darker, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Soak chilies

Meanwhile, place the stems-and-seeds-removed dried Kashmiri chilies in a small bowl and pour in 120 ml white vinegar to cover. Let soak 20–30 minutes until softened. Reserve the soaking liquid.

Once the toasted whole spices are cool, transfer them to a spice grinder or mortar & pestle and grind to a fine powder. If using a spice grinder, pulse to avoid heating. Remove and set aside.

Drain most of the chili soaking liquid into a blender, reserving a tablespoon if you want it stronger. Add the softened chilies, garlic cloves, chopped ginger, ground coriander, turmeric, grated nutmeg, sugar (or jaggery), salt and the ground toasted spice mix. Add the 30 ml white wine vinegar (if using) and blend until a smooth, thick paste forms. Add a little more vinegar or water (1–2 tbs at a time) if the blender needs loosening. Taste and adjust salt, sugar or vinegar balance — vindaloo should be tangy, spicy and slightly sweet.

Scrape the paste into a bowl. You should have roughly 1 to 1 1/2 cups of paste depending on blending. Set aside.

Place the cubed pork in a large bowl. Add about two-thirds of the vindaloo paste (reserve the rest for cooking) and the additional 30 ml white vinegar for extra tang. Toss thoroughly to coat all pieces. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight for best flavor penetration.

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 8–10 minutes. This builds depth in the sauce.

Add the remaining vindaloo paste to the onions and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes to bloom the spices and remove raw edge from the paste.

Add the marinated pork (including any juices) to the pot. Increase heat to medium-high and brown the pork on all sides for 4–6 minutes, stirring so the paste coats the meat evenly.

Pour in 400 ml water or stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer gently until the pork is tender and the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 60–75 minutes depending on the cut and size of pieces. Stir occasionally and adjust liquid if it reduces too quickly.

About 10 minutes before the end of cooking, taste and adjust seasoning with salt, sugar or a splash more vinegar if you want extra tang. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered to reduce; if too thick, add 30–60 ml water/stock.

When the pork is fork-tender and the sauce has a glossy consistency, remove from heat. Stir in chopped cilantro leaves if using.

Serve hot with steamed basmati rice, naan or Goan sannas (fermented rice cakes). Leftovers taste better the next day as flavors meld; refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze portions for 2–3 months.