Topic: Beginner Chicken Vindaloo with Base Gravy (feedback requested)

[fstr n u]

1. Marinade
5 chicken breasts cubed (1cm x 1cm), 1 tsp garam masala pdr, 1 tsp kashmiri chili pdr,
1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp lime juice, 60 mls red wine vinegar
*blenderize all ingredients and marinade cubed chicken for 4-24 hours
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2. Base Gravy:
4 med onions diced, 2 tbps garlic and ginger paste, 500 mls water, 2 large carrots diced, 1 celery stick chopped, 3 radishes chopped, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 red pepper diced, 1/2 green pepper diced, 3/4 tsp Ajowan Seed, 2 tsp salt, 1 lg tomato diced, 1 tsp cilantro (or pdr), ghee/oil (vegetable)
*fry onion in ghee x 10 mins, then add ginger/garlic, continue cooking x 3-5 mins
**add all other ingredients, boil and cover pan (x 45 mins-60 mins)
***remove from pan, blenderize and return to pan
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3. add 400mls diced tomatoes (can), 1 heaping tsp tomato paste, 1-1/2 tbsp spice mixture and then blenderize
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4. 1 green pepper diced, 1 tsp tomato puree, 1 tsp spice mixture, 3 tsp kashmiri pdr, 1 tsp fenugreek pdr, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp oil, 2 "3" inch cinnamon sticks, 6 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp cardamon pdr, 1 Jalapeno pepper diced, 100-200 mls whipping/heavy cream (35%mf), 1-2 tsp brown/white sugar, 1 tsp black mustard seeds, 4 cloves
*blenderize dry ingredients with wet
*cook chicken adding all ingredients including gravy
*once chicken cooked, remove cinnamon sticks/bay leaves
*add cream and salt/sugar as needed
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serve Vindaloo chicken and gravy in bowl, have prepared garlic/salt Naan bread Iwarmed) and enjou

[fstr n u]

Sorry for bumping thread.  Looking for feedback on this recipe..   My wife and i live in a region where the curry restaurants produce a mediocre curry and i've been playing for almost 2 years off and on when i can with modifying recipes.  If anyone has the chance to review my recipe above or try and offer feedback, i'd be grateful.  The best Vindaloo i had was from an owner of a curry restaurant now closed as he retired at the age of 80.  His vindaloo had a sl tomato base with sl sweet heat and a depth of flavor that absolutely boggles my mind.

My latest Vindaloo attempt comes within 7/10th of his and is getting better and i'll keep modifying as i learn more about curries.  I'll post what i've modified since:

1. Marinade: 5 chicken breasts cubed; 1 tsp lime juice, 2 tsp garlic & ginger pst, 60 mls Red Wine Vinegar; marinade overnight
2. 1 medium onion chopped;;         2 cans Campbell Tomato Soup
   250 ml whipping/heavy cream; 3 tsp garlic & 2 tsp ginger pst
   2 tbsp kashmiri pdr;                      2 cinnamon sticks
   6 cloves (ground);                         1/2 tsp yellow & 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
   1 tsp curry pdr/blend                  1/8 tsp nutmeg pdr
   1 tsp black pepper                       2 tsp garam masala
   1 tbsp fenugreek leaves ground into pdr;
   1/2 tsp cardamom pdr;                1/2 tsp salt
   2 tsp brown sugar;                         1/2 - 1 cup water
   vegetable oil/ghee

1. cook chopped onions in oil till translucent
2. add ginger/garlic pst, 1 tomato soup can, and all spices EXCEPT Garam Masala/Fenugreek Pdr/sugar/salt
3. blenderize in pan or once cool
4. add approx 600 mls of base gravy (your preference) and heat
5. on a separate burner/over, precook marinated chicken till almost fully cooked, then set aside
6. add to pan sugar/salt/cream/chicken/garam/fenugreek and cook for 5-10 mins on med heat
7. remove cinnamon sticks and add water until consistency achieved, then serve  (will make enough to feed 6-8 adults)

[Peripatetic Phil]

His vindaloo had a sl tomato base with sl sweet heat and a depth of flavour that absolutely boggles my mind.

Can you clarify what "sl" is in this context, please ?
** Phil.

[Edwin Catflap]

Hi never really had a vindaloo with cream in it?

[Secret Santa]

I'm guessing from your spelling that you're North American and that might explain the rather strange mix of traditional Vindaloo methods and BIR (restaurant) methods. And you won't find a vindaloo anywhere, not traditional nor BIR style, that incorporates cream because if it does it's no longer a Vindaloo.

My advice would be to cook your chicken by one of the precook methods on this forum and use a base and minimum other ingredients for a vindaloo, again according to one of the recipees on this forum. Otherwise go all-in traditional for which there are many good recipes all over the internet.

[fstr n u]

that's good feedback about the cream.  I purchased John Voigt's Curry Secret's book and have been researching curry methods when i can.  So many varieties...hard to know what's decent until you try it.  In response to above, excuse my "sl"...that means slight.  It's a variable term meaning a pinch, 1/8 tsp give or take.   We recently ended up at a newer restaurant in our City and i am super confused now.  I'll post in a new thread what i've learned about their Vindaloo and get your thoughts.

PS: yes i'm from Canada