Chicken Vindaloo | Instant Pot & Stove Top Recipe

Too often, restaurant Chicken Vindaloo is reduced to simply the "hottest" dish on the menu. But this iconic dish is full of bold, balanced, and complex flavors from freshly ground spices, fragrant aromatics, and the essential tang of vinegar. Kashmiri red chilies lend just the right amount of heat and that classic fiery red color without overtaking the beautiful flavors beneath.

For some, a spice level so high that your mouth burns and sweat beads on your forehead is a kind of pleasurable pain. But I prefer to moderate the heat and not burn out your tastebuds. A pinch of cayenne ups the spiciness quite nicely in this Chicken Vindaloo.

I use the same freshly roasted and ground spice blend as I do for the delicious Lamb Vindaloo in my cookbook, starting with simple whole spices that add rich flavor to the marinade. And the restaurant inspired addition of potatoes rounds out the dish perfectly.

Whether following the instructions for cooking in the Instant Pot or on the Stovetop, this is a no fail, sure to impress, new favorite addition to your culinary repertoire! And if you love chicken curries, you have to try my recipes for Achari Chicken, Chicken Karahi, and Mom's Chicken Curry.

Vindaloo: Then and Now

Over the years, this dish evolved to what is now served in restaurants, a blistering hot curry rather than the original harmonious sweet, sour, and spicy variation. Many restaurants also add tomatoes to this recipe, but the authentic chicken vindaloo recipe does not.

Vindaloo is the Goan version of the Portuguese 'Carne de Vinha d' Alhos', which translates to pork with wine and garlic. Portuguese explorers would layer these ingredients into barrels for long sea voyages, and the wine would preserve the meat.

And so, this dish was brought to Goa by the Portuguese, and 'Vindaloo' became the local pronunciation. Goan cooks kept the pork, but replaced the wine with palm vinegar and added flavorful spices to this dish. The Portuguese also introduced chilies to India at this time.

From Goan cooks adding aromatic spices to British Indian restaurants adding more and more hot chilies, to other parts of India creating lamb, chicken, and vegetarian versions, Vindaloo shows a roadmap of its influences!!

Homemade Vindaloo Spice Mix

This Goan spice blend adds just the right amount of heat while bringing out the essence of the freshly roasted and ground spices. My simple spice blend uses basic whole spices to get the bold flavors of Vindaloo sauce.

Mustard seeds are used in the tadka (tempering), while the remaining spices, such as cumin, coriander seeds, black pepper, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and Kashmiri whole red chiles, are blended into the vindaloo spice mix that forms the heart of this dish. The spice mix is then combined with white wine vinegar, garlic, and ginger to create a bold, flavorful marinade that infuses the chicken with the dish's signature taste.

Plan if you can by marinating the meat overnight, and remember that vindaloo curry always tastes better the next day!

Serving

Serve hot with Paratha or Roti. For a gluten free meal, serve with Basmati rice or Jeera rice. Add a side of cooling Beet raita or Koshimbir.

Storing

Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the Vindaloo for up to 2 months.

Notes

Reduce the vindaloo spice blend if using spicier dry chilies. Marinate the chicken overnight if you have time or if you are meal prepping. Making for a party? Cook the curry a day ahead and refrigerate. The flavors will develop even more overnight making it taste even better the next day.

References

Official Source: Ministry of Curry

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