Chicken Vindaloo in Instant Pot

Chicken Vindaloo is a popular Indian chicken curry dish from the western coast.  It’s a local adaptation of the Portuguese dish, carne de vinha d’alhos, which literally means, meat marinated in wine and garlic.  How can you go wrong with that!

Traditional Vindaloo Recipe

Traditionally this recipe was prepared with pork.  Locals from the Konkani region in Goa,  prepare a marinade by pureeing together pre-soaked dried red chillies, local Goan wine called Feni, tamarind paste, fresh garlic and ginger and toasted Indian garam masala.  They marinate the meat in this mix for a few hours.  Then, they cook the pork in this marinade, till it forms a rich curry.

Variations of the Vindaloo Recipe

There are many variations of this dish like Lamb Vindaloo and Chicken Vindaloo.  One can follow the same process and cook it with Lamb, Chicken or Beef.   I have adapted this recipe to make Chicken Vindaloo, which my families just adores.  With a few tweaks in the recipe, I have turned this into a weeknight recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes.

My Instant Pot Recipe for Chicken Vindaloo

This is my simplified take, an Instant Pot version of this slow-cooked classic.  I substitute red wine vinegar for the local Goan wine and tamarind paste.  Red wine vinegar has a nice sweet, tart and sharp flavor, which is a close match to the Goan wine, Feni.  It also provides a subtle tart flavor, which I would otherwise get from tamarind paste.   I use local dried asian chillies, rehydrate them and blend with sautéed onions, ginger, garlic and vinegar.  Towards the end of the cooking process, I add a pinch of sugar or a splash of coconut milk, which balances the flavors and elevates the flavors of this curry.   I serve it with Cumin Rice or with toasted french bread. All on the table in under 30 minutes!

Common Misconceptions about Vindaloo Recipe

There are two common misconceptions about the Vindaloo recipe.

• The first is that it’s a spicy curry.  The recipe for a typical Vindaloo curry includes pureeing a handful of dried chilies, but these chilies are more for flavor and color than spice, kind of like paprika.  The end flavors are ‘earthy and aromatic spicy’, not ‘hot spicy’, unless you want to make it spicy.
• The second confusion is caused by many restaurants adding potato in this curry.  The Hindi word for potato is “aloo”, which coincidently rhymes with “Vindaloo”.  There is no connection between potatoes and a vindaloo curry.