Tremendous Chicken Vindaloo
Prep
25m
Cook
45m
Total
70m
Bigly says
Folks. FOLKS. Vindaloo. The TREMENDOUS chicken vindaloo, the greatest vindaloo in the entire history of vindaloo, and many people don't know this — MANY — but vindaloo is not actually Indian. Not originally. It's PORTUGUESE. The Portuguese brought it to Goa in the 1500s, the dish was called 'carne de vinha d'alhos' — wine and garlic — and the Indians, brilliant people, looked at it, said 'we can do better,' and they DID. They added the chilies. They added the spices. They made it BIGLY. The Portuguese should be sending thank-you cards. Maybe they are. We'll see.
Most vindaloo — the kind you get at the place with the laminated menu and the candle that's actually a tea light, no soul, no romance — most vindaloo is one of two things. It's either dishwater-mild because the kitchen got scared, OR it's pure thermonuclear heat with nothing underneath, just PAIN, just suffering, you eat it and you cry and you can't taste anything for two days. Both versions are sad. Vindaloo is supposed to be HOT and DEEP. Layered. Complex. Like a great song. Like a great steak. Like Bigly's hair. That's the bottom line.
The secret — and the so-called Indian restaurants WON'T tell you, they'd rather you keep ordering takeout, they're afraid of an educated diner — the secret is toasting the whole spices and blending them with the vinegar BEFORE the chicken ever sees the pot. That's it. Scientists — and I've talked to scientists, very smart people, the smartest — one food chemist took 90 minutes to walk me through why, the man drew DIAGRAMS, worth every second. People come up to me on the street, they say, 'Bigly, why is your vindaloo deeper than the takeout place?' I tell them. They get emotional. Tough guys, the tears in the eyes. Happens every single time. End of discussion.
Ingredients
- 2 lbboneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in 2-inch pieces
- 1 tbspcumin seeds
- 1 tbspcoriander seeds
- 1 tspblack peppercorns
- 6whole cloves
- 4green cardamom pods
- 1 (2-inch)cinnamon stick
- 8dried Kashmiri red chilies, stemmed and seeded(for color and depth, not just heat)
- 2dried hot red chilies (arbol or similar)(for actual heat — adjust to your tolerance)
- 10garlic cloves
- 2-inch piecefresh ginger, peeled
- 1/3 cupapple cider vinegar(vinegar is non-negotiable — this is the soul of vindaloo)
- 1 tspground turmeric
- 1.5 tspkosher salt
- 1 tbspbrown sugar
- 3 tbspneutral oil (mustard or vegetable)
- 1large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 1 cupwater
- 2 tbspfresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
- as neededbasmati rice or naan (for serving)
Steps
- 1
Toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan, until fragrant. Pour into a bowl and let cool.
- 2
In the same skillet, toast the Kashmiri and hot dried chilies 30 seconds per side, just until they puff and darken slightly. Do not burn — burned chilies taste bitter.
- 3
Snap the chilies into pieces and add to a blender along with the toasted whole spices, garlic, ginger, vinegar, turmeric, salt, and brown sugar. Blend to a smooth paste, adding a splash of water if needed.
- 4
Combine the chicken with half the spice paste in a bowl. Cover and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature (or up to overnight in the fridge).
- 5
Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown — this caramelization matters.
- 6
Stir in the tomato paste and the remaining spice paste. Cook 3-4 minutes until the oil separates and the mixture darkens.
- 7
Add the marinated chicken and stir to coat. Cook 5 minutes, letting the chicken pick up color in the paste.
- 8
Pour in the water, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- 9
Uncover and simmer another 5 minutes to concentrate the sauce. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar — vindaloo should be punchy and bright.
- 10
Garnish with cilantro and serve over basmati rice or with hot naan.
One more thing
This vindaloo is the kind of dish that ruins takeout forever. Once you make it, the laminated-menu place is dead to you. You'll drive past it. You'll wave. You'll feel a little sad for them. Their vindaloo had a good run, the good run is over, the good run was always going to be Bigly's. That's the recipe.
★ QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? ★
Ask Bigly about Tremendous Chicken Vindaloo.
Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
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