Chicken Vindaloo

Chicken Vindaloo is a blend of two cultures. The first variant of the dish was made in Portugal and made its way to the Goan coast. Where the two cultures came together to create a flavourful curry. My version of vindaloo has hints of watermelon to enhance the flavours of the curry and make it softer on the tongue. If you love spicy curry, this is the recipe for you.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 kg Chicken

2 Onions pureed

400g Tomato puree

1 tsp garlic ginger paste

20 Kashmiri Red Chillies

12 black peppercorns

2 Tbsp Lemon juice

4 Tbsp oil

4 cloves

2-inch cinnamon stick

1 tsp fenugreek powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Chilli powder

Pinch of Garam masala

2 tsp Apple cider vinegar

Salt to taste

½ cup Watermelon juice

Method

Step 1

Deseed the red chillies and soaked them in warm water for 15-20 minutes. After 15 minutes add them to a blender with peppercorns, lemon juice, coriander powder and fenugreek powder blend till smooth paste. Wash your chicken thoroughly and cut it into medium bite-size pieces.

Step 2

Then coat the chicken with the chillies paste and place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. Then in a pan, add oil; once hot, add cloves and cinnamon stick. Cook for 30 seconds. Then add onion puree, cook till the colour turns light brown, and add ginger garlic paste.

Step 3

Cook till the raw smell of garlic goes away. Then add tomato puree and cook the masala till the oil separates. Then add watermelon juice, salt, chilli powder and apple cider vinegar and cook till the liquid has reduced and masala is bubbling.

Step 4

Now add your chicken pieces and mix well. Then add ½ cup water, reduce the heat to a medium-low and cover the pan. After 10 minutes, stir the chicken and add a little water if required; otherwise, cover the pan and cook for the next 15 minutes or till the chicken is easily pierced with a fork.

Step 5

Once the chicken is fully cooked, a generous pinch of Garam masala mixes well. Garnish with some fresh coriander and serve with rice.

Tips

1. Don't skip marinating the chicken; it helps enhance flavour and soften it.

2. The secret to a good Indian curry is cooking the masala as long as you can slowly caramelise the onions and roasting the tomatoes. The longer you cook your masala; the more flavourful your curry will be.

3. Be very careful with the amount of water you put in the curry after adding the chicken cause if there's excess water reduction; it might take longer, which can overcook your chicken.