Chicken Vindaloo Recipe

Toast whole spices

Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cloves, cardamom pods and the cinnamon stick. Toast, shaking the pan, until aromatic and slightly darker, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Soak chiles

Place the dried chiles in a heatproof bowl and pour in just-boiled water to cover. Let soak 10 minutes until softened. Drain, reserving a little soaking liquid.

Grind paste

In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the toasted spices to a fine powder. Transfer to a blender. Add the softened chiles (torn), fresh ginger, garlic, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons water or reserved chile soaking liquid. Blend to a smooth, thick paste, adding up to the extra 2 tablespoons vinegar if needed to help the blender. Taste and adjust salt, sugar or vinegar — the paste should be tangy, spicy and slightly sweet. Set aside.

Storage

The paste can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Marinate chicken

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add the vindaloo paste (use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup paste depending on desired heat and tang) and the yogurt. Mix thoroughly to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 3–6 hours or overnight for best flavor.

Prepare aromatics

When ready to cook, remove chicken from fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and sauté until softened and beginning to brown, about 8–10 minutes.

Brown chicken

Increase heat to medium-high. Add marinated chicken (shake off excess marinade but include paste) in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Brown the pieces on all sides, about 4–5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

Deglaze and build sauce

Reduce heat to medium. If the pan is dry, add a splash (1 tablespoon) oil. Add the chopped tomato and turmeric; cook 2–3 minutes until tomato softens. Scrape up browned bits from the pan with a spatula. Return all chicken pieces to the pan, add 1 cup water or chicken stock and the cubed potato if using. Stir to combine.

Simmer

Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender and potatoes are fork-tender, 25–30 minutes (longer for bone-in pieces). Stir occasionally and adjust liquid so sauce is thick but saucy; add a little more water if it reduces too much.

Finish

Uncover and simmer 5–7 minutes to thicken the sauce and concentrate flavors. Stir in chopped cilantro and taste. Adjust salt, add the optional 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 teaspoon extra vinegar if you want more tang. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Spoon Chicken Vindaloo into a serving bowl. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro and serve hot with steamed basmati rice, naan or flatbreads. Offer extra vinegar or lime on the side.