Pork Vindaloo is a Portuguese dish from Goa, where meat is cooked with spices and vinegar. With my simple recipe, you can learn how to prepare Pork Vindaloo in the traditional way.
Goa, a coastal state in India, is popular for its fabulous beaches, tropical climate, and fantastic food. It is the smallest state in India, but because of its unique cuisine, and especially due to the use of simple ingredients and robust flavors, it is slowly becoming popular all over the world.
Just like Goa Fish Curry, another popular curry from Goa, this curry also has a slight spicy note, but the note in this recipe comes from the use of vinegar and tamarind paste. However, you can use only vinegar instead of tamarind if you don't have tamarind paste on hand.
What is Vindaloo?
Vindaloo is a spicy Indian curry from Goa, influenced by Portuguese cuisine. When the Portuguese came to India, they made a dish called “Carne de Vinha d’Alhos”, which literally means a dish of meat cooked with wine and garlic.
The locals in Goa modified the dish by adding Indian spices and cooking it in vinegar instead of wine. This is how the fiery red and spicy Vindaloo Curry was created.
Vindaloo Curry is hot and spicy and full of hearty and slightly sweet flavors.
In today's post, I am sharing the Pork Vindaloo recipe. You can keep the base curry the same and prepare it with the meat of your choice. The only difference is the cooking time, as different types of meat require different cooking times.
Pork Vindaloo is a delicious curry that is widely served in restaurants in Goa and in local Konkan households. It is spicy, tangy, fiery red, and tastes best either with steamed rice or Poi (a traditional bread from Goa).
It gets most of its flavor from the freshly prepared Vindaloo paste, which is a beautiful blend of fresh ginger, garlic, white vinegar, tamarind, and some aromatic whole spices. The spiciness in Vindaloo Curry comes from vinegar, which, along with the spicy dried red chilies, is the main ingredient of this dish.
Ingredients for my Pork Vindaloo
Vindaloo Paste – We use a variety of spices to make Vindaloo Paste. You will need whole dried red chilies, whole coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, and mustard seeds.
I used dried Kashmiri red chilies, which give the curry a nice red color without making it too hot. You can use any dried red chili that is easily available to you.
Along with these spices, add fresh ginger, garlic, white vinegar, and tamarind paste. Vinegar and tamarind give this paste a nice tangy flavor that sets it apart from other Indian curries.
Traditionally, Toddy vinegar is used for this curry, but since I don't have access to it, I use regular white vinegar for the tanginess.
Pork – For the most flavorful curry, use pork pieces without skin and with bone. Bones add a lot of flavor to the curry and make it irresistible. But if you are not a fan of meat with bones, you can also use boneless pork.
For other non-vegetarian versions, try the same recipe with lamb, fish, shrimp, or beef. Just remember that the cooking time will be slightly different for each of them. You can even make a vegetarian version with potatoes, tofu, cauliflower, or Paneer.
Tomato puree – Tomatoes add a nice sweet, tangy flavor. Instead of tomato puree, you can also use tomato paste, just reduce the amount a bit as it is more intense in flavor.
Tamarind paste – Tamarind pulp gives this curry a nice tang. If it is not in stock or available, you could use lime juice or white vinegar instead.
Vegetable oil – Use any vegetable oil to prepare the Vindaloo Curry.
Other – Besides the ingredients mentioned above, you will need a few more basic ingredients like onions, turmeric powder, salt, and sugar. You can leave out the sugar, but it adds a little touch of sweetness and balances the flavors well.
FAQs
How spicy is Vindaloo Curry?
The curry, when prepared in Goan households, is quite spicy and you could call it XX Hot. But you can definitely adjust the level of spice to your taste buds and make it mild as well.
The number of chilies and the variety I used results in a medium-spicy curry.
If you want it even milder, remove the seeds from the chili.
Are dairy products used in Vindaloo Curry?
No milk is used. Most restaurants serve a very modified version of this dish, which is far from the original recipe. Here, cream is often added to the dish.
Does Pork Vindaloo contain gluten?
Since no flour is added to the dish, it does not contain gluten and is perfectly fine for people with gluten intolerance.
Which vinegar is best for Vindaloo Curry?
Traditionally, Goans use palm or coconut vinegar, but since I can't find the same in Germany, I used white vinegar. You can also use rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar. To balance the hint of sweetness that palm vinegar provides, I added a little sugar.
Can we add coconut milk to Vindaloo Curry?
Many households from Goa add coconut milk to their Vindaloo Curry to make it creamy and rich. To mellow the spiciness of the curry, you can also try it.
Can you store Vindaloo Paste?
Yes, you can prepare the Vindaloo Paste in advance and store it in the refrigerator for about a month. Store it properly in an airtight container and use a clean and dry spoon every time you take out the paste.
Serving suggestions
You can serve steamed Basmati rice or Jeera rice with Pork Vindaloo.
In Goa, it is served with a special bread called Poi. You can also serve it with rolls, brioche, or white bread.
It also tastes excellent with Chapati, Tawa Paratha, Naan or Laccha Paratha. Sometimes I also like to serve it with Dosa or Appam, it just tastes delicious.
Storage suggestions
Pork Vindaloo keeps in the fridge for about 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container. Reheat it in a pan or microwave before serving. If you feel it has thickened a bit after cooling, add some hot water and adjust the consistency.
You can even freeze this curry. Let it cool completely and put it in a freezer-safe box and freeze it for up to a month. Let it thaw on the counter for 3-4 hours and then reheat it with a little water before serving until it is nice and warm.
Ingredients for 4 people
For Vindaloo Paste
- 8-10 whole dried red Kashmiri chilies (or other dried chilies; remove stems)
- 2 tbsp whole coriander seeds
- 3-4 cloves
- 2.5 cm piece cinnamon stick
- 2-3 whole green cardamoms
- 8-10 whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 8-10 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
- 2.5 cm piece ginger (chopped)
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1½ tbsp tamarind paste
For the curry
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 large red onions (chopped)
- 800g boneless pork leg, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 1 cup canned tomato purée (or ½ cup tomato paste)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp white granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped)
Instructions
Prepare Vindaloo Paste:
Place red chilies, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, black peppercorns, cumin, and mustard seeds in a pan.
Dry roast over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned (3-4 minutes). Stir continuously while roasting.
Once the spices are roasted, remove the pan from the heat and let them cool completely. Place the roasted spices together with ginger, garlic, white wine vinegar, tamarind paste, and ½ cup of water in a high-speed blender and puree into a smooth paste. Scrape down the sides of the blender a few times while preparing the paste.
Your Vindaloo Masala paste is now ready. Set it aside.
Prepare Vindaloo Curry:
Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add onions and fry until golden brown (10-12 minutes). Stir occasionally.
Put the pieces of meat in the pot and fry over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir repeatedly.
Add tomato puree and the previously prepared Vindaloo Masala Paste to the pot and mix well. Now add salt, turmeric powder, and 1 cup of water to the pot and stir gently.
Cover the pot with a lid and cook over low heat for 45-50 minutes until the meat is well cooked.
Add sugar and cook for another minute.
Garnish with fresh coriander.
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