Pork Vindaloo
How about trying something a bit different this Christmas Day with a much loved curry?
Pork Vindaloo is a Goan dish which evolved from Portuguese roots and has a unique flavour that is a great example of India's cultural history and eaten at Christmas.
This dish is known locally in Goa as 'Vindahlo' which translates to 'vin' or vinegar and 'ahlo' which is the Portuguese word for garlic resulting in a wonderfully spiced pork and garlic stew dish.
The Portuguese arrived in India in the 1500's bringing with them chillies from Latin America, as well as some of their European influences such as wine and, being Christian, Pork also became an inherent part of the cuisine of Goa.
Try this tasty recipe below.
Ingredients
1kg pork shoulder , trimmed and cut into bite-sized cubes
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions , finely chopped
1 tbsp mild chilli powder
250 ml chicken stock
handful coriander leaves
To serve:
cooked basmati rice , to serve
naan , to serve
6 green cardamom pods
½ tsp black peppercorns
125ml red wine vinegar
1 heaped tbsp finely grated ginger
4 large garlic cloves , finely grated
1 tsp golden caster sugar
8 small dried chillies
pinch of ground cloves
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp turmeric
Method
To make the marinade, remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and grind with the peppercorns using a pestle and mortar. Mix with the rest of the marinade ingredients, then pour over the pork. Mix everything together well, then cover and leave to marinate overnight or for at least 8 hrs.
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook the onions for about 5 mins until starting to soften. Add the chilli powder to the pan and cook for 1 min. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the marinade and add to the pan. Turn up the heat a little and cook for about 5 mins, stirring all the time.
Add the leftover marinade to the pan with the stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 40-45 mins until the pork is soft and the sauce thickened – it should be thick rather than saucy. Pick out the dried chillies, if you like, season, scatter with the coriander leaves, and serve with steamed rice and naan.