PORK VINDALOO: THAT RECIPE ONE MORE TIME

This is not the first time I have posted a recipe for Vindaloo on DH.

However, as we have a lot of new readers recently and this is one of the recipes I am most requested to send when I receive e-mails, I thought it was worth posting once more. I am also developing the dish each time I prepare it, so it may have altered from the last time I shared it, two years ago.

Although Vindaloo is associated with the Indian state of Goa. It has its origins in Portugal. It was first mentioned in England in 1888, when one W. H. Dawe explained it in The Wife's Help to Indian Cookery,

"Vindaloo or Bindaloo--A Portuguese Karhi.... The best Vindaloo is prepared in mustard-oil.... Beef and pork, or duck can be made into this excellent curry."

Traditionally Goan Vindaloo is a mixture of roasted spices and vinegar and, unlike much of the rest of India, the locals were able to use pork because they were predominantly christian and had no dietary laws forbid it.

It has its roots in a dish still found in parts of Portugal today, "Carne Vinha-d'Alhos" a delicious, thin stew of pork, garlic and white wine vinegar. On arrival in India, it was transformed into the spicy dish we are more familiar with today, although I hope you will find the recipe below a suitable alternative to the British curry house version, which seems to want to replicate as much as possible, the act of eating a plate of broken glass.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

INGREDIENTS (feeds 4-6 people)

2lbs of Pork (preferably pork butt/shoulder)

For the Marinade
1/2 Cup palm vinegar (or white vinegar if you can't find palm)
2 inches ginger, peeled
4 Fresh chillies finely minced
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 black cardamom (optional)


SPICES (If you don't have whole spices, use pre ground, just make sure they are fresh)
5 Cloves
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Ground Cumin seeds
1 tsp Ground Coriander seeds
1 tsp Ground Fenugreek seeds
2 tsp Hot chilli powder
1 tsp Ground ginger
1 tsp Ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick
1 tsp Sugar
½ tsp Salt

1/2 Large white onion (sliced)

Oil for frying

METHOD

Trim the pork of excess fat, cut into 1in cubes and place in a bowl.

Blend the ginger, chilli and garlic to a fine paste with a little water and salt and pour over the pork, massaging well into the meat.

Add the palm vinegar to the bowl and massage into the meat.

Roast the whole spices in a pan and toast until they begin to release their scent.

Grind them and add all the other ingredients except the onion.

Pour over the pork and massage well into the meat.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for at least two hours. This allows the spices to penetrate and the vinegar to help tenderise the tougher cut of meat.

When ready to cook, heat a little oil in a deep sided pan and fry the onions until gloden.

Pour the entire contents of the bowl into the pan (watch out for the waft of vinegar steam that will shoot up.

Add 1/2 pint of water, stir well and reduce the heat.

Cover the pan and allow to simmer on a low heat for about three hours, checking to see when the meat is cooked and that it does not catch at the bottom of the pan. If it does, add a little more water.

After two hours, remove the lid to allow the sauce to reduce. The end result should be quite a dry curry, perfect to serve over plain white rice