Chicken Vindaloo

A tangy, spicy Goan curry made with vinegar, garlic and warm spices.

Prep: 15 min + 1 hour marinating · Cook: 40 min · Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  1. Mix the vinegar, ginger-garlic paste, all the ground spices and the salt into a paste. Coat the chicken and marinate for at least 1 hour.
  2. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait until they pop, about 30 seconds.
  3. Cook the onion for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
  4. Add the chicken with all its marinade. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring.
  5. Add the tomatoes, water and sugar. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
  6. Uncover and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken. Serve with rice.

Tip: Vindaloo is traditionally hot. For a milder curry, leave out the cayenne.

Image prompt: Photorealistic food photography of a bowl of chicken vindaloo, chicken pieces in thick dark-red spicy gravy, white rice beside it. Soft natural window light, 45-degree angle, shallow depth of field, rustic wooden table, highly detailed, no text, no hands.