Chicken Vindaloo

We have been looking for a good vindaloo recipe for quite a while and each one we’ve tried has been a bit of a disappointment.  They never turn out quite like what we get in restaurants, even though that’s not really authentic it’s what we know.  Until today.  The flavor in this recipe was exactly what we wanted, we could have made it hotter, but the flavor was right.

1 ½ tbs cumin seeds
1 tbs coriander seeds
1 tbs dried mustard powder
6 cardomom pods
3 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cayenne pepper
5 tbs red wine vinegar
1 large red onion
3 green chillies, chopped
1 ½ inch piece of ginger
6 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
5 small Yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
4 large vine-ripened tomatoes, diced or pureed
2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tbs chopped cilantro
1 cup water
4 tbs vegetable oil
~1 tbs salt

In a spice grinder or blender, grind the first 6 ingredients and set aside in a bowl.  To this add the turmeric powder, sugar, salt, cayenne and vinegar.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot add the onions and fry until dark brown.  Using a spoon transfer the onions to a blender and add 4 tbs of water to make a paste then add to the spice mix.  This is your vindaloo paste.

Puree the ginger and garlic with a couple tbs of water.  In the dutch oven, set the heat to medium and add the pureed garlic/ginger mixture with a bay leaf.  Stir for about 2 minutes, but don’t let the garlic burn.  Add the chicken and fry for 3-4 minutes.  Add the vindaloo paste, potatoes and tomatoes.  Cover and cook on medium low for about an hour or until your potatoes are cooked.  For about the last 20 minutes move the cover over to allow the sauce to cook down some.

Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve over basmati rice.

Serves 5, 425 calories, 18 g fat

My only complaint with this was that the tomato flavor was a little pronounced, I think next time I will cut back on the tomatoes.  It could also use a little extra heat, vindaloo is supposed to be hot and this was pretty mild. This recipe will definitely remain in my bank though.