ANGLO-INDIAN PORK VINDALOO

ANGLO-INDIAN PORK VINDALOO

Vindaloo is a legacy of the Portuguese  to Anglo-Indian Cuisine. It comes from the Portuguese word “Vinha De Alhos” – “Vinha”  meaning wine or wine vinegar, and "Alhos", meaning garlic.  i.e. from the 2 main ingredients in it. It was originally a red wine and garlic based watery stew made with pork or meat in Portugal. However after the Portuguese introduced it in India, it was completely revamped with the addition of spices and chilies, and over the years it has become one of the spiciest and most popular curry dishes all over the world. As the Portuguese first colonized Goa it became a famous curry dish in Goa originally.  The locals added a variety of  spices and chillies and vinegar was then substituted for wine. Thus was created a new “Fusion dish” which swiftly spread and became popular throughout the country with the members of the community
 It can be prepared with any kind of meat such as Beef, Mutton, Lamb, pork, poultry, seafood and also vegetables such as Brinjals or Egg Plant, potatoes, peas etc). The dish is not as thick as a Korma and does not have as much gravy as other curries. It also requires quite a lot of oil in its preparation and tastes wonderful if eaten a day or two after it is cooked since the vinegar and other flavours soak into the dish. The pungency of the dish can be reduced or increased according to taste by adding or lessening the chillie powder. However, care should be taken not to lose the vinegar flavour, because Vindaloo get its special taste only because of the vinegar in it. Makes an excellent combination with Anglo-Indian Coconut Rice. Note: Take care not to garnish the dish with corriander etc as it would detract from the taste of the dish. (The green chillies in the photograph are just for show :-) ) 

Serves 6   Preparation and cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 kg pork cut into medium size pieces

3 potatoes peeled and cut into halves

3 large onions sliced finely

2 teaspoons chillie powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoons oil   

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

2 small sticks cinnamon

4 cloves

2 cardamoms

3 tablespoons vinegar

Boil the pork and potatoes with a little salt and sufficient water till tender. Remove and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till light brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the chillie powder, turmeric powder, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, vinegar and salt. Fry for a couple of minutes. Now add the cooked pork and potatoes along with the soup and simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve with bread or rice.