Ultimate Vindaloo

[Secret Santa]

You have not explained the "d'alho (garlic)" element, Santa.
** Phil.

Sorry I thought that was self evident...the dish requires the use of lots of garlic. Indeed that's one of the ways I use to differentiate my BIR version from a madras.

[JerryM]

have attached current vindaloo recipe as i have it. i've never really got going on cracking it down to only me like in the family.

i think next is really to work on what i call the green chilli sauce (again not really worked on).

my recollection from last try was:

1) add back in "more" ginger
2) use more birds eye chilli
3) bunjarra not needed

[Secret Santa]

2) use more birds eye chilli

Not at all convinced that Bird's eye chillies are a necessity Jerry, although no harm in using them. I bought a packet recently and just chowed down on one and then after a bit of yoghurt and water to remove the sting I tried a normal finger chilli. Honestly apart from the heat level, the Bird's eye being hotter, there wasn't any real discernable difference in the flavour. And let's face it, which type of chilli does every Indian wholesaler have in huge quantities? Gotta be the humble finger-chilli.

[fried]

Or you could do an SS Vinderloo and just add more chilli powder

How very dare you!  ;D

I think I, along with JerryM, were a couple of the first forum members to insist that a vindaloo is not just a chillied-up madras.

And you are actually guilty of the same thing you seem to be implying because you're saying that a vindaloo needs differentiation from a madras just by the addition of...vinegar (and extra chilli of course)! Pffft!

I can honestly say that I have no real idea what a BIR vindaloo tastes like, when I used to live in the UK it was a dish I rarely ate and was like a Madras with more chilli powder. Also like the Madras completely variable from takeaway to takeaway.

My feeling like all with all old-skool recipes is that they should be simple using ingredients that would've been available in the 80s.

I have to agree that traditional vindaloos/ curries don't taste anything like BIR style, I'm not a great fan of red wine vinegar in these dishes as it's a bit overpowering, white wine vinegar possibly, but it would have to be balanced with some sugar leaving you with a sweet and sour sauce. I feel the same about black pepper, I've been recently making  black, Sri lankan curry using a recipe from this site, absolutely delicious,  very heavy on the black pepper but again not BIR.

[JerryM]

Secret santa/fried

finger chilli would suit me ie may be case of just using "a lot more" more.

The other niggle is the nagga chilli. I've added it in only because I have to hand and never previously achieved lip burn without it. Maybe nagga was not available then and birds eye was only way of adding the heat.

In short reasonable result may be possible from little nagga and lot finger.

A further thought being to add the fresh chilli fine chopped or blended later in cooking ie after base. in past have used finger chilli sauce (from Ashoka) but added at g/g stage. On the no3 madras have started adding bullet chilli after the base - this  seems to keep it's taste better.

Not sure if black pepper is needed or not. I too find using a lot works in non curry cooking - Will search black Sri lankan curry

[Onions]

White pepper in a vindaloo- esp. if using citrus.

[Secret Santa]

White pepper in a vindaloo- esp. if using citrus.

Except that those BIR menus that include pepper in the description always state black pepper.

[Onions]

'Always'... is not a word for chefs

[fried]

Black pepper is mostly white pepper anyway!

[Peripatetic Phil]

Black pepper is mostly white pepper anyway!

But it does not /taste/ of white pepper, thank God.
** Phil.