Yesterday I made my 2nd Rik's vindaloo. Cooked in the afternoon, to allow it to rest a little before reheating for the start of the NFL season.  You can keep your wings and hot dogs America!  I only ate half during the game and it was very good, but saved half to let it rest overnight. I reheated it this morning for ten-ses (never seem to make it to 11am) and had it with a hot dog roll, split, buttered and browned in the cast iron pan - very Mumbai pav style.
The vindaloo was even better this morning. Overnight resting is the way, grasshopper. I wonder what the science behind it is?

In between vindaloos I made a mild dish so Mrs Robbo could enjoy, as I have no standard base in the freezer.
https://youtu.be/TzYACT9nT7A?si=9NFTW_Ov-xoF003j
Chicken tikka lazeez was rich and delicious.

I've been watching way too many videos from this guy.

Robbo

Way better color than my effort.  Need to be more patient next time. I wonder if the garam masala helped the color any? I didn't add it. Next time. Kitchen smelled wonderful while doing it though.

Robbo

I've never had a good result with store bought pastes but will look for a vindaloo paste and see if there's onion paste too, next time I visit the Patel Bros enormous wonderful Indian supermarket.
Pataks just never did it for me. Except their very old small canned vindaloo curry sauce that was very thick compared to the jarred stuff. That was decades ago though.

Interesting about the vinegar. When I cooked Rik's I used apple cider vinegar. His vindaloo paste absolutely ruined my silicone spatula though. Even after 3 runs through the dishwasher it still smells of vindaloo paste.  On the plus side,mi now have another dedicated kitchen item for curry.

Robbo

Ok, another not exactly inspiring pic.


But I have to say my search is over. This vindaloo is perfection. Absolutely the best curry I have ever made and definitely improved overnight. Hard not to wax lyrical about this and if you're lucky enough to live in the UK and can pop round to the local takeaway, this may seem over the top. I'm done. No need to try Indian restaurants here in Illinois except to try genuine Indian dishes. For my BIR vindaloo, I found it. And thanks to a Yorkshireman, who'd have thought....?

Robbo

My onion base was very similar color but didn't taste raw / undercooked in the slightest. I also left out the garam masala from the onion base. The resulting vindaloo was great yesterday and I'm about 4 hours away from trying the dish for dinner tonight.
Planned experiments with the vindaloo paste and onion paste / base.
1. Cook ahead and reheat 24 hours later (tonight)
2. Cook and eat immediately
3. Marinate the chicken in the vindaloo paste then cook

Next time will cook the onions longer to deepen the color of the final base.
Seems a good starting point. A very simple base to build upon.

Phal is pure evil. I grew Carolina Reapers when I lived in North Carolina some years back and they are killer. Stick to habaneros, Thai, bird eye, d'arbol these days.


Robbo

I just stood in the sweltering 90 deg F to cook this as I couldn't wait. My onion paste was a lot lighter in color than Rik's but I'd cooked them an hour in the oven and they were plenty soft. Next time longer, because this has to be repeated. Many times.



And here it is. Not very exciting shot but I have to say, this is a strong 9/10, if not 9.5...will find out tomorrow as am deliberately letting it sit overnight to see if it improves. My taster plate was absolutely delicious and could easily have come from a British Indian restaurant.
Is it 100% the real deal?  Is anything really? Who knows, but it's the best attempt at a vindaloo I've ever made and cannot wait to get through the other 10 portions in the freezer.

This Brit abroad is a happy man today. 

Robbo

I've tried the shaking thing in a glass jar but next time will give this a go. Might just save me that hour!

Robbo

Apparently this guy is a celebrity chef in India. He certainly has a swagger to him and comfortable in front of camera. Recent videos have the benefit of subtitles but earlier one do not.  All recipes in descriptions are English though. I can easily sit through the videos without subtitles too.
https://youtu.be/wWj8H28DfsI?si=6TE39Q0dB7Y2czxD

Tons of recipes and instruction.  Worth a look.

Robbo

Yesterday I made Rik's vindaloo paste and boy was that a labor of love. An hour peeling garlic.


I was a bit concerned about the seemingly ridiculous 3 cups of ketchup (a foodstuff for kids and absolutely disgusting to me), but I followed the recipe exactly and now have 11 portions to experiment with.  7 TBSP of paste per dish. Freezer now full.
Rik calls for 10-20 dried chillies so I went with 19. A mix of dried Kashmiri and a few d'arbol.


Today, the roasted onion paste / base and tonight the first bash at the final dish.

Robbo

Excellent Phil, thank you. You type up as many recipes as I do.
I'm going to start another thread on the vindaloo subject to keep things organized.

Robbo