india. pork vindaloo / romas bengal

A little bit of Vindaloo history:

In 1509 the Portuguese explorer, Alfonso de Albuquerque came to India. He captured Goa a tiny state on the West Coast of India, from the Sultan of Bijapur and made it the headquarters of the Portuguese Empire in India. The Portuguese controlled the whole of India’s export trade to Europe for more than a century. The Portuguese introduced chili peppers, potatoes, coffee, tobacco and Christianity to India. Goa became a Portuguese colony and is about one third Christian to this day.

Vindaloo is a very hot and sour dish developed by the descendants of the Portuguese. Goa is known for its fiery Pork Vindaloo. Goa is one of the few states in India where pork is commonly consumed. This dish use to be taken on sea voyages hence there is no water used in it, and the vinegar acts as a preservative. The word Vindaloo comes from the Portuguese word Vin, meaning vinegar and Alho meaning garlic.

Vindaloo Masala

8 Dried Red Cayenne peppers

20 Black Pepper Corns

4 – 6 Cardamom Pods, peeled

2 inch Cinnamon stick

8 – 10 Cloves

1 Tbs. Cumin Seed

1 Tbs. Fenugreek seed

1 Tbs. Mustard seed

1 Cup White Vinegar

Roast the dry spices in a hot dry pan, until it starts to give off its aroma, about 5 to 7 minutes. Cool the spices and then grind them to a fine powder. Add the vinegar and mix completely.

Pork Vindaloo

8 – 10 Lbs. Pork cut in one and half-inch cubes

1 Tbs. Brown sugar

1 Tbs. Salt

1 Tbs. Turmeric powder

1 Tbs. Cayenne pepper powder

2 Tbs. Tamarind extract

2 Tbs. Ginger, grated

12 Garlic, pods

2 Jalapenos (or 6 Serranos)

2 Sprigs Curry leaves, (about 12 – 15 leaves)

2 Cups Red Onion, sliced finely

1 Cup Cooking Oil

Mix the Pork with the Vindaloo Masala, rubbing the Masala into the meat. Let the meat marinate for 1 hour. Heat the cooking oil in a pot. Add the Curry leaves to the hot oil and fry them for 2 minutes. Add the red onions and fry them until they are a light brown color. Add the garlic and cook for three minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, Cayenne, brown sugar, and salt and cook for twenty minutes. Add the marinated Pork and cook on medium low, just a low simmer, for one hour.

When the pork is cooked, add the tamarind and the chopped Jalapenos. Keep it cooking slowly until the sauce thickens and is almost dry.

Vindaloo is a special curry that is distinguished by its vinegar content. The Pork should be cut into fairly large pieces and should have some fat content. After cutting and cleaning the meat put it aside to dry. The meat should marinate in the Vindaloo Masala for at least one hour. It is better if you marinate it overnight in the refrigerator. This curry after it is cooked is a nice brown color to differentiate it from other Indian curries and can be compared in color to a Mexican Molé sauce. There should not be any water added to a Vindaloo curry at all. The meat should simmer in its own juices. Due to the high acid content in this recipe, it is better to cook this in pots made of stainless steel, enamel, or earthenware. The trick of making a Vindaloo is starting with a curry and ending with something that looks like barbecued meat fresh from the grill dripping with barbecue sauce. Serve over plain fluffy rice.