Chicken Vindaloo

Chicken Vindaloo is a Portuguese dish and has been prevalent in India since the Portuguese settlement in Goa and North Kerala in 1500s. The Portuguese originally made Vindaloo or Vindallo with pork, lamb or meat. It is then cooked with wine or vinegar, spices and potatoes. The use of potatoes can be optional. This dish became popular in Goa and since then the Goans will have this dish on every occasion and commonly use alternatives like chicken or vegetables or egg are used for a vegetarian version. This is a simple dish to make if you have all the spice ingredients. If you do not, you can use Neeliyam’s Vindaloo spice blend (order spices at info@neeliyam.com) that is sure to make your lives easier and keep your bellies and palette happy!

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

½ cup Vinegar, white wine or distilled

7 T (one packet) Vindaloo spice blend (contact me to order)

1 T Garlic paste

1 T Ginger paste

1 Serrano chili, deseeded and chopped

¼ cup Olive Oil

1 ½ cups Onion, grated or finely chopped

20 Curry leaves or ½ cup of chopped cilantro

2 Tomatoes, chopped or pureed

2 Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 t Salt

1 ½ cups Water

Mix the Vindaloo spice blend and vinegar to make a paste. Marinate the chicken with the spice vinegar paste, garlic, ginger and Serrano. Set it aside for 1 hour.

Heat oil in a large wide bottomed saute pan. Add onion and curry leaves. Sauté for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Add the tomatoes. Sauté for 5 – 20 minutes or until the liquid evaporates and the oil starts to separate from the onion-tomato mixture. Add the marinated chicken, coat with onion-tomato mixture. Add potatoes, salt and water. Cook on moderate heat for 20 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are tender and cooked through.