During the punk nights at the Dev in Camden, we have a bring-your-own picnic kinda thing going on. Gary DJs and brings along cheese, pickles, pitta bread, stuff like that; others make and bring guacamole, crackers, dips, etc. I usually make a curry.
I alternate between vegan vindaloo and madras usually, but I may try my hand at a tikka masala soon… who knows.
As it’s been a quiet month for the PRCC, I thought I’d add the vindaloo recipe here. I make up the quantities of the main ingredients as I go along, only really using measuring spoons for the spices.
So, some background. Vindaloo is based on a Portuguese invention, and nothing to do with potato (yes, I know “aloo” is potato), but it’s actually white wine and garlic (“Vinha de Alhos”). The Indian version grew up around the Goa region and got the chillies and spices added to it.
The recipe can be tweaked and messed around with, but the amount of vinegar should be kept – the distinctive taste comes from that.
Ingredients
3 red onions finely chopped
4-8 crushed garlic cloves
4+ red chillies finely chopped (I use 7-8 Bird’s Eye Chillies for MUCH hotter)
400g chopped tomatoes / passata
1-2tbsp tomato puree
1-4 tsp hot chilli powder
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground turmeric
1-2tsp garam masala
1/4tsp ground cinnamon
2tsp mustard powder
1tsp ground coriander
2cm cube of ginger, grated
3tbsp white wine vinegar
1tsp sugar
1tsp Cayenne pepper
Whatever meat / veg you want to cook (I use chickpeas and red lentils)
Method
Heat some oil, just enough to cook onions in, and cook the onions on a medium heat until they soften (5 or 6 minutes) with pot lid on.
Add the garlic, chillies, ginger and sauté for a bit
Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, tin of chickpeas …
And about this many lentils
This is the spices that also go in
like this
Give it a good stir – the tomato purée and such should be well mixed in.
Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, stirring occasionally and making sure not drying out, approx. 1 hour, until the sourness of the white wine vinegar has all but gone.