Pork Vindaloo
| Cuisine | Indian |
|---|
I have always heard this from my “non- Indian” friends who have been to India at least once that India is a country everyone should visit once. Those bustling streets, vibrant colors all around, people from all different cultural and religious backgrounds and still there’s this underlying harmony amongst all. If you have not seen and experienced that then you still have places to see! The biggest thing that I like about India is that there are so many states, so different from one another with different traditions, different attire and even different languages and cuisine but still a common string binds each one of them. Every food had a history behind it and a legacy that people have to carry. One such dish that has a long story behind it is Pork Vindaloo. Pork Vindaloo hails from the state of Goa which was once a Portuguese colony so it goes without saying that the culture and cuisine of the state is influenced by Portuguese culture. It is believed that the name Vindaloo was also derived from Portuguese dish where “vinho” means wine and “alhos” is garlic. Usually the recipe asks for pork and wine along with garlic. Over the course of time the recipe evolved and people started making it with different meats but today I am sharing a traditional Pork Vindaloo recipe that I learnt from a Goan friend.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork meat (cut into cubes)
- 1 1/2 cup diced onions
- 4-5 whole red chilies
- 6-7 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 inch ginger
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp cloves
- 3-4 cardamoms
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tbsp peppercorns
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp tumeric powder
- 2 cups diced potatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- salt
Step 1
Soak whole chilies, garlic cloves and ginger in the white wine vinegar for about half an hour. Grind and make a paste of it.
Step 2
Marinate chicken in the chili paste and let it sit in a refrigerator for at least an hour (I usually do this overnight).
Step 3
For the dry spice: mix cloves, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorn. Grind them in a spice or coffee grinder. Set aside.
Step 4
Heat oil in a thick bottom pan, add mustard seeds.
Step 5
Step away from the pan as mustard seeds pop, add onions and fry them in oil until they turn light golden brown.
Step 6
Add marinated pork with all the juices and stir fry for a few minutes.
Step 7
Add dry spices along with salt, mix it all together and cover the pan with a lid.
Step 8
Let it simmer and cook until the meat is done to your liking (I like it well done) and curry is thick (stirring in between from time to time).
Step 9
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or your choice of bread.