Pork Vindaloo

A Portuguese inspired Goan Delight… Spicy, Slow Cooked n Aromatic… Pork Vindaloo…!!

This is a pretty famous dish which has its roots running through the states of Goa & Kerala (my hometown) in India. The name Vindaloo comes from a Portuguese word “carne de vinha d’alhos” which means meat marinated in wine and garlic. The history of Vindaloo goes all the way back to the days when Portuguese sailors visiting India, used to preserve meat in wine and garlic for their food needs during their journey on the sea. This method of preservation helped the meat to last longer both for their sea journey and also at land in India’s hot climate.

Goans adopted the recipe and later modified it by incorporating chilies, tamarind, black pepper, cardamom and cinnamon, making a spicier version of it. This dish became popular in Goa and Kerala through the Anglo Indian community who passed on the recipe through generations. In India, a funny fact is that the name vindaloo is at times mistaken for an aloo (potato) dish! The recipe later travelled to England where again it was modified to lower the spiciness and tanginess, but still staying close to the original version.

Traditionally pork meat is used to prepare a Vindaloo, but later modified versions using chicken and beef become popular and began filling tables in restaurants.

The highlight of the dish is the harmonious blend of Sweet, Sour and Spice.  The spiciness can be varied according to your choice from mild-to-hot by altering the amount of chili used. When preparing Vindaloo, Tenderloin or shoulder cut of pork is preferred. A fattier cut adds a lot of flavour but if you are looking for something healthier use pork shoulders. The fat renders oil and also helps avoiding addition of extra oil while cooking.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking !!!

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Pork Vindaloo

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 10 mins

Total Time

1 hr 40 mins

 

A Portuguese inspired Goan Delight… Spicy, Slow Cooked n Aromatic… Pork Vindaloo…!!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: goan, indian, pork vindaloo

Servings: 5

Author: Akhila

Ingredients

For masala paste

• 2 lb. pork meat
• 2-3 dry red chilies
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 8-10 garlic cloves
• 1 big piece of ginger
• 1 tbsp black pepper corns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 8 cloves
• 3-4 cardamom
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp sugar/brown sugar
• 3-4 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• water (as needed)
• salt (as needed)

For the curry

• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• Oil (as required)
• 1 cup hot water (or more)

Instructions

1. Clean and cut pork into small cubes.
2. Prepare the masala by grinding the ingredients listed under masala above, to make a paste. Add water as needed to make the paste smooth.
3. Marinate the pork in the masala for at least 3-4 hours, overnight marination would be ideal.
4. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions and saute by adding a little salt until they are soft and caramelized.
5. Add the marinated pork pieces and place the lid, cook on a high heat for 8 minutes stirring midway so that the meat gets evenly seared.
6. Add 1 cup of hot water (or more if you prefer more gravy to your dish), close the lid and slow cook on low heat for about 45 mins to 1 hour until pork becomes tender. Stir at regular intervals to allow the juices from the pork to ooze out and cook well with the masala.
7. Once the curry has reduced and pork tender, check the seasoning, add if needed, giving it a final stir.
8. Serve warm with Rice, Appam or Naan/bread.

Notes

1. Meat with more fat is preferred, tenderloin or shoulder cut goes well too.

2. Adjust the spiciness according to your choice while adding chilies.

3. You can use distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for the marination.