Pork Vindaloo
Vindaloo is a fiery curry from Goa, born in the Goan Catholic community under Portuguese influence: its name comes from the Portuguese “vinha d'alhos” (wine and garlic), transformed over the centuries into a paste of roasted spices and vinegar that gives the dish its signature tang. Traditionally made with pork, here's our most authentic version, true to the original Goan recipe.
Ingredients
- For the vindaloo paste
- 8 dried Kashmiri red chillies, deseeded
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 4 cloves
- 1 Ceylon cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 piece fresh ginger (4 cm)
- 80 ml white wine vinegar
- For the dish
- 800 g pork shoulder, cubed
- 2 onions, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 400 g crushed tomatoes
- 300 ml water
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh coriander, to finish
Instructions
-
1
Soak the dried chillies in hot water for 15 minutes to soften, then drain.
-
2
In a dry pan, lightly toast the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon stick for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
-
3
Blend the toasted spices with the rehydrated chillies, turmeric, garlic, ginger and vinegar into a smooth paste.
-
4
Coat the pork cubes with the paste, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (ideally overnight).
-
5
Heat the oil in a pot and fry the sliced onions with the sugar until well browned and caramelised, about 10 minutes.
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6
Add the marinated pork with all its paste and sear over high heat for 5 minutes.
-
7
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and water, season with salt, then simmer covered for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender.
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8
Remove the lid and let it reduce for another 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.
-
9
Adjust the seasoning, scatter with fresh coriander and serve piping hot.
Tips
Vindaloo takes its name from the Portuguese “vinha d'alhos” (wine and garlic), brought to Goa by Portuguese settlers in the 16th century and adopted by the Goan Catholic community — it's one of the few Indian recipes to use vinegar rather than yoghurt or lemon as its souring agent. For a more authentic flavour, make the paste the day before: it only deepens overnight. This dish also works well with chicken (reduce the simmering time to 25-30 minutes) or lamb for an equally tasty version. Serve with plain basmati rice to balance the heat.
Spices used
Find the spices from this recipe in our shop.
Kashmiri Red Chili
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Whole Malabar black pepper
Whole Cloves
Ceylon Cinnamon Alba
Lakadong Turmeric Powder
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