ISO Vindaloo Recipe

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Billdolfski

Senior Cook
Joined
Feb 22, 2006
Messages
244
Location
Indiana
I was looking for an authentic, spicy recipe for lamb vindaloo. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Bill,

If you google, using the "Advanced search" box, and then the "exact phrase" box, type in "lamb vindaloo" and you'll get a lot of hits.

I love lamb and would like to try this dish! Some of them have potatoes and other stuff in it, too.

This one is way too spicy for my taste, so I'd have to tone it down considerably, but I like the unusual (for me) flavor mix in it.

Lee

http://www.sheepscreek.com/recipes/lamb_vindaloo.html
 
Thank you, I had been using the search function... but neither the Advanced nor the Exact options.
 
Bill here is a recipe I use. It's not extremely authentic (since I always like to tweak my recipes a bit) but it's close. I like to make shrimp vindaloo but you can make it with any meat, just ensure you vary the cooking times accordingly.

1 large onion finely chopped (extremely fine). I don't like to puree my onions because they release a lot of water, so I do a super fine dice
1/2 tsp of freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp of freshly minced garlic
1/2 tbsp of whole cumin seeds
1 tbsp of whole corrainder seeds
1/2 tbsp of mustard seeds (you can use the whole yellow or brown mustard seeds)
Handful of curry leaves
2 whole dried red chillies (less if you don't like spicy food) - Authentic vindaloo is pretty spicy
salt to taste
1 tbsp of poppy seeds (white ones) - Also called Khush Khush (in Indian language)
2s tbsp of regular white vinegar
1 tbsp of dried coconut flakes (unsweetened) - You can get this at any Indian or Asian stores
salt to taste
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of turmeric
2 tbsp of oil

Toast the cumin, corrainder, chillies, poppy seeds, curry leaves and coconutflakes in a fry pan (on low heat)

Next powder it in a coffee grinder and reserve

In a pan add the oil, once it's hot add the onion and cook it until it's lightly brown. Add the ginger and garlic and the powdered spices and saute it for 1/2 a second. Next add 1/2 cup of water and the vinegar. Check for salt. Allow the gravy to cook down and release oil. Now add another 1/4 cup of water and shrimps and cook it until the shrimp is done (about 5 minutes or so). Garnish with cilantro and serve with any Indian flatbread or basmati rice.
 
I must admit that I had never heard of vindaloo until I was introduced to it by Dave Lister - although he prefers chicken! :LOL:

A simple Google on "lamb vindaloo recipe" has a bunch of recipes you can look at to see if one sounds like something you might like. Of course, as QSis noted, you can use the advanced search functions to narrow it down even more.
 
Bill,
This recipe is amazingly close to our Winter special, the differences being
1. We use commercial Garam masala
2. We add curry leaves, about 8 or 10.
3. Less chillis - we use 3 or 4 fresh cayennes (homegrown)

Lamb vindaloo

Chef: Rob Scott

A delicious curry in the true Indian style.
Serves 4
You need:
Garam Masala
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cardamon seeds
2 cinnamon sticks, broken up
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)

Lamb Vindaloo
1 kilo diced lamb
8 large red chillies, chopped
1 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
5 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Method:
Garam Masala
In a small frypan, gently sauté the ingredients except the nutmeg until there is a pleasant aroma. Remove from the heat and place in a coffee grinder. Add nutmeg and blend to a powder-like substance. Place into an airtight container for later use.

This gives you your curry paste for the recipe below.

Vindaloo
Soak chillies in vinegar for ten minutes. Place ginger, garlic, chillies and vinegar into an electric blender and puree. Add garam masala and salt, and blend. Marinate the lamb for two hours in the mixture.

Heat the oil in a frypan and sauté the onions until transparent but not burnt.

Drain the meat from the marinade and gently fry in the pan. You may need to do this in stages. Add the sealed meat to a baking dish. Pour in the marinade and stir. Cover and bake in a moderate oven at 180° for one and a half hours until the meat is tender. Stir in the sugar and service with plain rice and accompaniments.

Recipes for side dishes:

Cucumber in Spiced Yoghurt
Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and de-seeded
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
3 tablespoons hot water
2 green chillies, de-seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups drained yoghurt

Method:
Grate the cucumber. Sprinkle the coconut with the hot water and toss with your fingers, until the coconut is moist. Add the cucumber, coconut, chillies and salt into the yoghurt.

Mint Chutney
Ingredients:
1 cup mint leaves, firmly packed
4 spring onions, cut short
2 green chillies, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons water

Method:
The easy way to make this fresh chutney is to place all the ingredients into an electric blender and blend it to a smooth paste.
 
I have some Penzey's Garam Masala, conveniently enough. I mix it with this other sweet curry powder that I have, sautee it in butter and eat it on rice.

Now I have several recipes to work with... all I need is some lamb :mad:

About the curry leaves... I hear they are pretty useless dried. Do you have a source to get them fresh?
 
Last edited:
I would buy curry leaves from a local Indian store. There are sites (Ethnic Grocer.com) that will have them but it's best to find a local Indian store.

Dried curry leaves are an absolute waste of money as you indicated. I would recommend buying them fresh and then storing the unused ones in a ziploc in the freezer. The color will turn dark but the flavor will still be there.

Also garam masala depending on when you bought it may not be very good. I prefer to make small batches of garam masala and use it within the month. Any longer and it has no flavor (well for me).

I don't use garam masala in my vindaloo.

To make garam masala in a sinch here is the recipe you can use:

3 sticks of cinnamon
1 tsp of cloves
2 tsp of whole black peppercorns
1 tsp of cardamom

Dry roast them a bit and then grind them. It's a good substitute, not as elaborate but works very well.
 
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