Vindaloo for Chicken or Lamb
Experience exotic Indian flavors with marinated chicken poached in vindaloo sauce and served over rice.
Ingredients
For the hot curry spice blend:
- 1 rounded tablespoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons hot paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the chicken:
- 1 whole chicken, cut up into thighs, legs, wings and 2 pieces of breast, skin removed except for the wings
- 2-3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Juice of 2 limes
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the vindaloo:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
- 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 1 Fresno or other moderate-heat red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- Salt
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes
For serving:
- 1 1/2 cups Jasmine rice
- Naan bread and melted butter, for brushing
- Chopped toasted peanuts or almonds
- Chopped fresh mint
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Preparation
For the spice blend: Combine the turmeric, coriander, cumin, paprika, dry mustard, cardamom and cinnamon.
For the chicken: Place the chicken (except for the wings) in a shallow dish and dress with half the spice blend, the garlic, lime juice and some salt and pepper. Cover and let marinate for 1 hour.
Place the chicken wings in a small pot; cover with water and season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and poach for 30 minutes.
For the vindaloo: Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, bay leaves, chili pepper, ginger, onion and the remaining curry spice blend. Season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 7-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and about 1 cup of the wing stock and bring to boil. Slide in the chicken and partially cover with the lid or foil, allowing some steam to escape. Reduce the heat to a simmer and poach the chicken in the sauce, about 30 minutes.
For serving: Meanwhile, prepare the rice, according to the package directions. Heat the naan on a griddle pan with a splash of water, then brush with melted butter.
Serve the vindaloo with choice of garnishes over the rice, and the naan on the side.
