I tried a recipe from last week’s Washington Post for a fast version of pork vindaloo – I’m posting it separately and the link is below. This mild paste was an alternative to jarred curry paste and I’m glad I tried it. It gave the dish a restaurant quality and would be wonderful with other meats or poultry, perhaps even firm tofu. Since it began as a mild recipe, it was easy to ramp up the heat for my taste.
As you can see, it’s really more of a thick sauce than a paste. I made these changes: instead of using two not-so-hot red peppers, I used one Habañero, including the seeds and ribs. Instead of whole cloves — $10 to $12 per ounce — I tried a small amount of ground cloves and got it right. Cloves are notorious for quickly losing their oomph, and whole cloves definitely offer more flavor, but with extremely fresh ground cloves, I was willing to sacrifice that bit of flavor in the name of economy. And while I have half a freezer door shelf devoted to seeds, cumin seeds are missing, so I went with ground there too.
This can be made with a mortar and pestle, which is traditonal, or in a mini-processor, which I opted for. If you’d like to go traditional but don’t have a mortar and pestle, here’s a good stand-in: use a glass spice jar with a flat bottom and a heavy, stoneware mug.
This is a versatile seasoning paste you can alter with your choice of hot peppers. Make it your way. And since it keeps for a few weeks, once it’s made the rest of the meal is lickety-split.
Mild Vindaloo Paste
Adapted from The Washington Post
1 – 2 red chiles, seeds and ribs removed, rough chop
3 black peppercorns, very fresh
2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 TB shredded fresh ginger root
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cardamom
2 whole cloves (I used 1/4 tsp ground cloves ~ ella)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (I used 1 tsp ground cumin ~ ella)
1/4 cup/2 ounces apple cider vinegar
With a mortar and pestle or mini-chop, pulverize the peppers and peppercorns. Add the rest of the ingredients and crush or pulse until blended.
Makes about 1/2 cup. Can be refrigerated, tightly sealed, up to one month.
Companion recipe: Quick Pork Vindaloo
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Good golly miss molly, does this look delicious!
Wow! My mouth is watering. Thanks for sharing. In the file it goes . . .
Blue Smoke of Paradise’s last blog post..Mind Demons
Oh, it really is a winner. I’m definitely going to use it with tofu, prepared the way the pork vindaloo is. I think they’d be a perfect pair.
Thanks for stopping by, blue!