Pork or Lamb ‘Vindaloo’
The main ingredients for this Portuguese-inspired Indian dish are wine vinegar and garlic. Additions of mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric and chillies make it specifically colonial Goan. Most recipes for vindaloo involve grinding mustard seeds in vinegar. To save this step, I have used grainy French Pommery mustard (Moutarde de Meaux) which already contains vinegar. It works beautifully. This dish may be made in the pressure cooker or in a frying pan. Vindaloos are hot. Goans would use 4 teaspoons of chilli powder here. Under my husband’s ‘spare-me’ gaze, I have used half a teaspoon to make a mild dish. It is up to you.
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons grainy French mustard see above
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ –1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 100 g 4oz onions, peeled
- 6 large garlic cloves peeled
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 550 g 1¼lb boned hand of pork or shoulder of lamb, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes
- 150 ml 5fl oz tinned coconut milk, well stirred
Instructions
- Step One Combine the mustard, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and vinegar in a cup. Mix well.
- Step Two Slice the onions into fine half-rings and crush the garlic to a pulp. Put the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and set over medium–high heat. When hot, add the onions. Stir and fry until they are medium brown. Add the garlic. Stir and fry for 30 seconds. Add the paste from the cup. Stir and fry for a minute, then add the meat. Stir and fry for about 3 minutes.
- Step Three Now add in the coconut milk and 150ml (5fl oz) water if you are going to cook in a pressure cooker and 250ml (8fl oz) water if you are going to continue to cook in the frying pan. (Transfer to a pressure cooker at this stage if that is your intention.) Cover and either bring up to pressure, or to a boil if you are using the frying pan. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes in a pressure cooker and 60–70 minutes in the frying pan.
