Chicken vindaloo recipe

[SteveK]

I have been tweaking my vindaloo from scratch for over a year now and have managed to get a really tasty version that I can make with ingredients that I can buy in a small Isaan village. Hopefully someone will try this out. It's adapted from a recipe from an Indian lady and Rick Stein's beef vindaloo recipe.

 

Roughly chop 2 large onions, 10 cloves garlic, 12 red chillies, 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, 1 tsp mustard seeds, and fry lightly in 1 tbsp oil then allow to cool.

 

Transfer to a blender. Add 1 heaped tablespoon cumin, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp curry powder (generic Thai curry powder or Waugh's), half teaspoon turmeric (too much turmeric ruins the flavour completely which I found out the hard way), 2 inch piece of cinnamon, 1 tbsp brown sugar and 100mls white vinegar.

 

Blend it up adding additional white vinegar until you get a smooth, thick paste. Add in your chicken pieces, and refrigerate for 2 hours, no longer as the vinegar breaks down the chicken and it won't taste as nice.

 

Then fry the lot in a pan in 1tbsp oil until chicken is cooked through. This produces a brown curry, so I add a tiny amount of red food colouring to get it more like the British curry house style.

 

Add freshly chopped coriander and enjoy.

 

If you can get cloves, add 6 into the blender but I can't get them here. Also, if you can find ghee, that gives a better taste than vegetable oil, and use a bit more than you would oil.

 

Because vindaloo has so much vinegar, it's basically a pickle, and you can make a giant batch of the sauce and just marinade the meat as and when you want it - it will last a long time in the fridge.

Edited July 14, 2019 by SteveK

[SteveK]

I forgot to mention - this works with large pieces of chicken best, I cut a breast into three and marinade them and that's enough for my dinner. You could use any meat for this though, as vindaloo was originally a pork dish. Beef, pork, duck, chicken, prawns and vegetables will all work well.

[tutsiwarrior]

gonna havta try that one, a marinade with vinegar as a base sounds very interesting...maybe edit out some of the steps to give a simpler preparation...btw whole cloves are available at makro but most 'curry powder' has cloves included...

 

believe I'd be careful with the fresh chiles as 12 of the small red ones will burn ye a new one...mix and match depending on what they got fresh at the market that day...maybe do away with altogether and use dried red chile flakes instead that one also has to be careful with...

 

I made a boneless chicken breast tikka recently with a yogurt and spices marinade and it turned out a treat...the yogurt marinade adapts to a lot of stuff...

 

 

[SteveK]

Actually I usually put in 16 chillies, reduced it for this forum. Each step is important, maybe I could simplify it. I can get the plain yoghurt here in 7-11. I made a really nice butter chicken but this Allowrie butter is so expensive I stick to my vindaloos. I'd love to see your tikka recipe.

 

If only I could get some bell peppers to make a jalfrezi. Not available within 100km of my village!

 

If you do try this recipe, try not to deviate or substitute too much, I have tried small alterations but find I don't get that tangy, delicious vindaloo flavour. You can use sichuan peppercorns instead of cloves, but I can't get those either!

Edited July 15, 2019 by SteveK

[tutsiwarrior]

a tikka marinade is easy to assemble from most anything you see on google...it has become 'generic' almost, ye just havta get yer hands on some natural yogurt or make some...the height of luxury was in saudi where they had premixed spices in a box in the supermarket, just add to the fresh yogurt usually sold in kilo tubs...

 

too bad yer makro is so far away as they usually have peppers for jalfreizi, mine's only just up the road 30km where I havta go for 90 day reports, etc...back in a construction camp in the middle east years ago the pakistani canteen chef did an admirable jalfreizi that was a big hit amongst the staff and crew...he even had fresh chapattis that he kept warm in a rice cooker...

 

gonna hafta check out the jalfreizi recipes on google...I've got a good vendor at the local market, thb50 per kilo for nice fresh boneless breasts...

 

 

Edited July 15, 2019 by tutsiwarrior

[SteveK]

I've made fresh chapattis, very similar to my fresh tortillas. 50 baht for kilo is an absolute steal - but the Thais see them as garbage meat!

[JAS21]

I don't need vindaloo to help me go ... I have my wife's cooking

[Jip99]

The best Vindaloo that I have had in Thailand was produced by a guy in Surin.

 

 

Your recipe sounds interesting, I think I will run it by him.

 

 

 

[Jip99]

1 hour ago, SteveK said:

 

 

If only I could get some bell peppers to make a jalfrezi. Not available within 100km of my village!

 

 

 

I didn't know anywhere in Thailand was more than 100km from a Makro store  ????

 

 

I have just brought some capsicum seeds back from the UK for a friend to try and grow his own bell peppers.

 

[fishtank]

I have attempted various curry recipes in Thailand with differing levels of success.

Never seem to get it quite right.

 

Will try the Vindaloo recipe next Tuesday.

Looking forward to it. ????

Edited July 20, 2019 by fishtank

[fishtank]

I ended up cooking the vindaloo today.

Probably the best curry I have had in ten years.

Admittedly I made all the others.

 

Ended up with too much gravy so next time I will use more chicken and put one in the freezer.

 

As for Rick Stein?

The man is a legend.

 

[SteveK]

You've made my year!

 

A lot of research went into this recipe. Dozens of different tweaks and tastings.

 

If you have a lot of gravy, you can keep it in the fridge for 1-2 weeks no problem because of the vinegar.

 

Just make sure that you either keep the gravy on it's own, or store the cooked curry with meat in the freezer - over-marinading the meat does not work well at all because the proteins in the meat get broken down.

 

Let's do a proper butter chicken next, I've nearly got that down but the only issue is butter is mega expensive out in the sticks.

[fishtank]

Butter? Out of my pocket.

[SteveK]

To make butter chicken I need almost a whole pack of this stuff and it costs about two quid. Better to try and get a really good jalfrezi recipe going, there's load on YouTube but not always easy to get all the ingredients here.

 

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by SteveK

[steven100]

beef vindaloo  !!   now your talking my language …. arroy   !

[SteveK]

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

beef vindaloo  !!   now your talking my language …. arroy   !

I agree 100% - beef vindaloo, slow cooked is a reason to stay alive. Unfortunately in my village the only place to buy beef is the local market and it is the lowest quality crap I have ever tasted, but at least all the flies and bugs on it give it extra protein.

[steven100]

1 minute ago, SteveK said:

I agree 100% - beef vindaloo, slow cooked is a reason to stay alive. Unfortunately in my village the only place to buy beef is the local market and it is the lowest quality crap I have ever tasted, but at least all the flies and bugs on it give it extra protein.

yep, the thai beef is absolute crap … you could chew on my sandal and get the same flavour.

now I don't know what it is with thai's but the sister in law cooks for the market and give her credit she works hard at all the chopping, deep frying and preparation …. but why is it that one million flies land on everything and stay there for 30 minutes or longer until it gets moved or boiled or fried and then the fly comes back for a second feed. And the sun drying catfish ...well I could puke ????

what is wrong with them on this issue ???

[JamJar]

Where is the potato?! Don't serve me a vindaloo without potato! What are you thinking?!

[SteveK]

56 minutes ago, JamJar said:

Where is the potato?! Don't serve me a vindaloo without potato! What are you thinking?!

Traditional vindaloo does not have potatoes, but I also quite like mine with potatoes especially if it is outrageously spicy. Put them in if you want.

[JamJar]

5 minutes ago, SteveK said:

Traditional vindaloo does not have potatoes, but I also quite like mine with potatoes especially if it is outrageously spicy. Put them in if you want.

 

It has certainly evolved from the original  "Carne de vinha d'alhos" But I grew up with it being served with potato.

Tasty dish anyway.

[Mikisteel]

Ingredients for Steve's chicken vindaloo: all of which can be purchased from a typical isan village:

 

Tsp- teaspoon

Tbsp- tablespoon

 

2 large onions (roughly chopped)

10 garlic cloves

8-16 red chillis (scoville threshold dependent

Fresh ginger - 2 inch piece

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tBsp cooking oil

 

Put all above in a pan and fry lightly.

 

Leave to cool for 5 mins

 

Next step:

 

Blender required.

 

1 heaped tablespoon (tBsp) cumin

 

1 tBsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper corns 

1 tBsp curry powder (generic thai or Waughs brand)

Half a teaspoon of turmeric (no more or it's ruined)

2 inch piece of cinnamon 

1 tBsp Brown sugar

100ml white vinegar 

 

Using your now cooled down sauce base you just lightly fried.

 

Add in all of the above ingredients into a blender along with your lightly fried sauce.

 

Blend all together and look for a thickening but smooth paste.

 

If this is not being produced add a small amount of white vinegar until the thick smooth consistency is achieved.

 

Once achieved add in your raw chicken pcs.

 

 

Refrigerate for 2 hours no more.

 

Then fry your vinny with 1 tBsp of oil and add red food colouring for a more authentic look.

 

Once cooked add a bit of fresh coriander and enjoy.

 

Nice one Steve I've sorted that masterpiece into an order which I can now relay to my chef who will attempt to create this for me some time this week.

 

Much appreciated.



 

 

[fishtank]

I do remember potatoes in Vindaloo back in the day.

Will add some in my next attempt tonight.

Will also add some more chillis. (14 not enough)

[SteveK]

22 minutes ago, fishtank said:

I do remember potatoes in Vindaloo back in the day.

Will add some in my next attempt tonight.

Will also add some more chillis. (14 not enough)

You probably know this already but make sure you boil the potatoes until at least 75% cooked before adding them, the sauce isn't watery enough to cook them on it's own. If you really want to push the boat out you could add some of the bird shit chillies as well, I've got them growing in the garden. Using different types of chillies together add an extra punch to the flavour also.

 

Is there any possible way that we could create a section in the forums to post popular recipes? I can add my pizzas, cornish pasties, chicken casserole, curries, lamb koftas, bbq ribs etc.

Edited July 23, 2019 by SteveK

[youreavinalaff]

On 7/21/2019 at 9:52 PM, SteveK said:

I agree 100% - beef vindaloo, slow cooked is a reason to stay alive. Unfortunately in my village the only place to buy beef is the local market and it is the lowest quality crap I have ever tasted, but at least all the flies and bugs on it give it extra protein.

Try slow cooking a vindaloo using pork belly. It's great.

[Sticky Wicket]

On 7/21/2019 at 9:26 PM, SteveK said:

You've made my year!

 

A lot of research went into this recipe. Dozens of different tweaks and tastings.

 

If you have a lot of gravy, you can keep it in the fridge for 1-2 weeks no problem because of the vinegar.

 

Just make sure that you either keep the gravy on it's own, or store the cooked curry with meat in the freezer - over-marinading the meat does not work well at all because the proteins in the meat get broken down.

 

Let's do a proper butter chicken next, I've nearly got that down but the only issue is butter is mega expensive out in the sticks.

2 inch piece of cinnamon. Does that blend well or does it leave  small pieces in the mixture?

[SteveK]

4 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

2 inch piece of cinnamon. Does that blend well or does it leave  small pieces in the mixture?

It blends up just fine.

[Sticky Wicket]

7 minutes ago, SteveK said:

It blends up just fine.

I'll give it a go and report back !! Cheers

[Mikisteel]

Got most ingredients today from local market. No paprika so far though or turmeric

[fishtank]

51 minutes ago, Mikisteel said:

Got most ingredients today from local market. No paprika so far though or turmeric

Makro should have them if you live near one.

 

Lazada have both.

They also have popadoms.

Edited July 23, 2019 by fishtank

[fishtank]

Made my second batch tonight.

One to eat and 2 in the freezer. 

Excelent.

Even the Wife tried some and liked it even though a bit pet pet.

Edited July 23, 2019 by fishtank