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Chicken vindaloo with dried chili garnish in a metal bowl from the front.
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4.95 from 17 votes

chicken vindaloo - restaurant style

Vindaloo paste makes this a well rounded, flavourful curry.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: chicken vindaloo, indian chicken curry, vindaloo paste
Servings: 2
Calories: 412kcal
Author: romain | glebekitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 dried kashmiri chilies
  • 1 tsp Indian restaurant spice mix - recipe link below
  • 1 tsp kasoor methi - dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup vindaloo paste
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste diluted in 2 tbsp water
  • 15 oz curry base - recipe link in the notes
  • 2 tsp tamarind paste
  • 12 oz chicken pre-cooked

Instructions

  • Combine the Indian restaurant spice mix, kasoor methi and salt in a small bowl. Preheat your curry base. Dilute the tomato paste.
  • Heat your frying pan (don't use non-stick) briefly over medium heat. Add the oil. It's ready when the oil starts to shimmer.
  • Add the Kashmiri chilies and cook for about 10 seconds. Flip them and cook another 10 seconds.
  • Turn down the heat and add the spice mix, kasoor methi and salt. This is the critical step. Stir it constantly for 30 seconds. If it starts to darken lift the pan off the heat. You want the spice mix to cook in the oil but not burn.
  • Add the vindaloo paste. Fry, stirring constantly, until it starts to darken. This should take about 2 minutes.
  • Turn the heat up to medium high. This is important. The heat is what makes the onion base work. It gives the dish its Indian restaurant flavour. Add the diluted tomato paste and stir until bubbles form. This takes around 30 seconds to one minute depending on the heat.
  • Add 3 oz of curry base. Stir until bubbles form (little craters really), around 30 seconds. It's like a lively boil. Watch the video to see what I mean...
  • Now add 6 oz of curry base and stir briefly. Let it cook until the bubbles form again. Let it cook about 2 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the curry base and let cook until the bubbles form. Stir in the tamarind paste. Turn the heat down to low and add the pre-cooked chicken. 
  • Let the curry simmer for about 5 minutes. If it gets too thick add a bit more curry base. Do not add water.
  • Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or Indian flat bread.

Notes

It's easy to make a great vindaloo paste.
Here's how to make Indian restaurant spice mix.
Curry base is a key ingredient in Indian restaurant style cooking.
To pre-cook your chicken cut up your chicken thighs into big bite size pieces,  combine a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of restaurant spice mix or curry powder and enough chicken stock to cover the chicken in a saucepan and simmer until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170F or is cooked to your liking.

Nutrition

Serving: 2servings | Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1085IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1.5mg