Like most people, when I think of vindaloo I think of a hot dish, one of the hottest on the menu, and one that needs a long and low stay in the oven. This vindaloo is different on both counts. It’s dinner on the table in well under an hour and it’s as mild — or hot — as you’d like.
This is the companion recipe to what I’m calling Vindaloo Paste Your Way (see below); both appeared last week in The Washington Post and I was eager to try them. I love vindaloo — the hotter the better — and while I did make the paste hotter, it’s more accurate to call it highly seasoned and, I think, perfectly seasoned. I’m looking forward to making chicken and lamb versions of this.
With the homemade curry, I had to use it twice: before the pork went into the pan, as specified, but again when the browned chunks were in the pan a second time. Since tasting the sauce alone is not a good barometer, I’d cut up a few very small pieces of pork that would be fully cooked by that point so I could gauge the components together.
Because mine was hotter, I served it with cooling raita on the side (see below) and flat bread. With the milder version, a green vegetable on the side would be ideal. The 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro is not to my taste, but I did use a couple teaspoons of dried cilantro leaves. Just enough for flavor. The rice was basmati and having used canned broth in the vindaloo, I finished the can by using the rest in place of some of the water to cook the rice.
Quick Pork Vindaloo
Adapted from The Washington Post
1 pound boneless pork loin rib chops, well-trimmed
2 TB flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch ground cardamom
Pinch ground cloves
1 TB jarred mild vindaloo or Indian yellow curry paste
OR
1 heaping TB Vindaloo Paste Your Way (see below)
2 TB vegetable oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
3 TB white vinegar
2 TB tomato paste
1 cup / 8 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 TSP salt, plus more to taste as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
Cut the pork into a large dice or thin strips. In a bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and mix to blend. Add the paste and mix well. Add pork and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature 15 – 20 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When shimmering, add half the pork and brown well. Transfer to a plate, add oil to the pan as needed, and brown remaining pork. Transfer to the plate.
Without adding further oil, add the diced onion to the pan and begin to scrape up any brown bits (fond) as the onion begins to give off some moisture. Add the vinegar to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the fond. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, mix well and let simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
Return the pork to the skillet, along with any juices that have collected on the plate. Taste for seasoning, adding more paste if necessary. Let simmer another 2 – 4 minutes, until pork is done but not overcooked.
Remove from heat. Add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.
Companion recipes: Vindaloo Paste Your Way Raita
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