Chicken Vindaloo Recipe

Make delicious restaurant style Goan Chicken Vindaloo. It is spicy, hot and super flavorful. Serve this with butter naan, any flatbreads, Basmati rice, flavored rice or rotis.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Servings4

AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

To make Vindaloo paste

1½ tablespoons coriander seeds (or 1 tablespoon ground coriander)
1 teaspoon cumin (or ¾ teaspoon ground cumin)
10 black pepper corn (or ½ to ¾ crushed black pepper)
2 inches cinnamon (or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
4 cloves (2 pinches ground cloves)
2 green cardamoms (optional, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom)
½ teaspoon mustard seeds (or ¼ teaspoon ground mustard)
20 dried red chilies (less spicy kind) or 1 tablespoon Indian chili powder (notes 1)
3 tablespoons vinegar (malt/goan/red wine vinegar) (notes 2)
10 (25 grams) garlic cloves (or use fine grated)
1½ inch (25 grams) ginger (or use fine grated)

Other ingredients

2 lbs. (800 grams to 1 kg) bone-in chicken (or 1.5 lbs. boneless chicken)
½ teaspoon turmeric
¾ to 1 teaspoon salt (I used ¾ tsp pink salt)
3 tablespoons oil (I used coconut oil)
2 onions (optional) (fine chopped or processed)
2 tomatoes (optional) (pureed)
1 tablespoon vinegar (malt/goan/red wine vinegar) (notes 2)
1 teaspoon sugar (notes 3)
¼ to ½ cup hot water (refer notes)

How to make the recipe

Make Vindaloo Paste

Option 1 - with ground spices - If you do not have a spice grinder, simply mix together all the ingredients mentioned under "to make vindaloo paste" along with 3 to 4 tablespoons water. It should be a thick paste.
Option 2 - with whole spices - Deseed red chilies and soak them in 3 tbsps vinegar and 3 tbsps hot water. Keep aside. Grind all the whole spices mentioned under "to make vindaloo paste" to a fine powder. Add ginger garlic and soaked red chilies. Pour the vinegar water mixture and make a smooth paste.
Add the paste to the chicken along with turmeric and salt. Marinate and rest aside for at least an hour to overnight in refrigerator to absorb the flavors. If using bone-in chicken, rest no longer than 2 to 3 hours as the meat can fall off the bone too early while cooking.

How to make Vindaloo

Heat oil in a deep pot and saute onions (if using) until golden to light brown. Stir in the rest of the vinegar, sugar and marinated chicken. Saute for 3 to 5 mins on a medium heat.
Pour the tomato puree (if using) and continue to saute for another 3 to 4 mins.
Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through & fork tender. If the pan is too dry, add little hot water as you cook. (I use about half cup.)
Simmer until the sauce reaches a thick & semi dry stage. Taste and add more salt as required.
Serve chicken vindaloo with plain rice or naan. You can also rest for a day in the refrigerator for the flavors to develop. Store for up to 48 hours in the refrigerator.

NUTRITION (estimation only)