The vindaloo is a widely recognised staple of Indian cuisine, but the dish that appears on westernised menus is increasingly becoming a stranger to its roots. Literally translated as "wine and garlic", the vindaloo was originally a Portuguese pork dish (Carne de Vinha d’Alhos) brought over to the South West Indian port of Goa by European colonists. There it was adapted to the local palate with vinegar replacing the wine and the liberal addition of chillies and spices, creating a complex and slightly sour dish.
The anglicised version that appears in most curry houses today bears little resemblance to its Goan counterpart. It is usually the restaurant’s basic curry sauce flavoured with large quantities of chilli powder and represents the most fiery option on the menu. Many chefs also add potatoes, owing to a longstanding mistranslation of the name – "aloo" being Hindi for potato. This vindaloo lacks any of the complexity of the original and is all too frequently eaten as a test of bravado rather than a dish to be savoured.
A traditional vindaloo does not need to be prepared with excessive chillies and can be made at home with little difficulty (although the marinade needs to be done in advance).
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 kg leg of pork, cubed
For the marinade:
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 5 green cardamom pods, seeds only
- 5 cloves
- 2 medium-size cinnamon sticks
- 4 kashmiri red chillies, or more if preferred
- 4 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
For the sauce:
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 bulb garlic, chopped
- Thumb-sized piece of ginger, chopped
- 3 plum tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tin chopped tomatoes)
- 1 – 5 green chillies chopped, depending on taste
- 1 pork stock cube
- 1 teaspoon molasses
Method:
- Put the marinade spices and chillies in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, and grind until fine. Mix in the white and balsamic vinegar and then rub into the pork until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Take a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Fry the onions gently until golden then stir in the garlic, ginger, tomatoes and chillies and continue to cook for another minute or two.
- Turn the heat up to high and add the seasoned pork, stirring well to ensure the meat is browned on all sides. Make up the stock with 250 ml of water and any leftover marinade then pour over the pork. Turn down the heat to low and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the molasses then cover.
- Leave to slow cook for 2 hours, stirring every so often to prevent from sticking. The sauce should be quite thick, so if it is too watery, leave the lid off for the last half hour of cooking. Serve immediately with Basmati rice, naan bread and pickles.
Rowan Darby - Rowan Darby is a writer and journalist who hovers somewhere indefinite between London and the South West of England. He attended ...
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