The other day, we were craving something with a big, bold, spicy flavour, and we decided to try out hand at Vindaloo. I can’t claim that this is exactly authentic, as it’s just my attempt to recreate the flavours that I love when I’m out at an Indian restaurant…but I think this was a reasonable approximation. Anyway, this one is similar to our Duck Jalfrezi Recipe, but with a few changes…We didn’t have any hot peppers, so we used cayenne for our Vindaloo, and we added in some vinegar to alter the flavour profile and add a bit of sour tang to the party. We also used tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes because it’s just a better quarantine ingredient due to its shelf life. And speaking of quarantine, the garlic and vinegar in this dish will help you socially distance from vampires.
We served our Vindaloo over brown basmati rice, but if you’re looking to get wild with some classic homemade Indian side dishes, we suggest trying your hand at Vegetable Samosas or Spinach and Garlic Naan.
Time: 35 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Cauliflower
- Peas
- A Potato (We used Yukon Gold, and that worked well)
- Onion
- Fresh Ginger
- Garlic Cloves
- For your spices:
- Black Pepper
- Ground Cumin
- Paprika
- Turmeric
- Ground Cloves
- Ground Cayenne
- Dried Cilantro
- For your Sauce:
- Tomato Paste
- Water
- White Vinegar
- **Note, the water to vinegar ratio is totally up to you. Depending on how acidic/sour you like your vindaloo, you can even go to a 1:1 ratio. We however suggest 3 or 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar.
Method:
- Dice your onion and garlic, and grate your ginger with a microplane grater (you can also dice your ginger if you prefer…we use frozen fresh ginger, so grater is just easier for us).
- Melt some butter in a large pan, and when it’s hot, add your onion, garlic, and ginger. Sautee for a few minutes until all of the aromatics are released.
- While your onion/ginger/garlic are getting ready, wash, cut, and steam your cauliflower and potatoes in the microwave until they are just soft. They will finish in the pan.
- Add your tomato paste to your onions, and stir to combine. Then, add in some water and vinegar (in your desired ratio) to start to build your sauce.
- Mix in your cauliflower and potatoes, and then heap in your spices. We like our vindaloo to be powerful, so we didn’t hold back on the spices. Stir to combine.
- Add in your peas, and then reassess the consistency of your sauce. If it’s not liquidy enough, add more water and vinegar in your desired ratio. Also, give your sauce a taste to see if it needs more spice.
- When your sauce nicely coats your ingredients, and your cauliflower and potatoes are soft but not mushy, you’re done.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
