Chicken Vindaloo

My summer vacation is over...but looking back I have smiles all over my face. Had a fun week at Orlando,  a weekend drive to Vancouver, saw the entire tenth doctor episodes of Doctor Who from Netflix...some good movies , some okii movies...some cooking, some blogging....the time just went by...

When we accidentally bought vindaloo masala instead of the usual chicken masala,  I casually used it without even knowing it , the taste wasn't great...and thats when I checked the internet. Vindaloo needs a completely different cooking style...It needs vinegar and fresh spices.. While browsing I got the Madhur Jaffrey's recipe link from wikipedia. Although the recipe is for lamb vindaloo,  I  chickenized it... 


Last week I made this. In my chickenised version I cooked the vindaloo masala first and then added the browned chicken. The outcome was perfect. I let it sit for a while for the chicken to infuse more flavor. It was perfect with chappatti....

Recipe:
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Adapted from : Wikipedia > Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking

1. Whole cumin seeds             -  2 tsp
2. Hot, dried red chili peppers  -  2-3
3. Black peppercorns               -  2 tsp
4. Cardamom                         -  1 tsp [original recipe asks for cardamom seeds, but I used whole pods]
5. Stick of cinnamon                -  3-inch
6. Whole black mustard seeds  -  1 1/2 tsp
7. Whole fenugreek seeds        -  1 tsp
8. White wine vinegar              -  5 Tbsp
9. Salt                                   -  1 1/2 to 2 tsp
10. Light brown sugar                -  1 tsp
11. Vegetable oil                      -  10 Tbsp
12. Onions                               -  2 medium, peeled and sliced into fine half-rings
13. Water                                -  1 1/3 cup (or broth/stock)
14. Chicken                              -  2 lb boneless cut into 1-inch cubes
15. Fresh ginger                        -  1-inch cube, peeled and coarsely chopped
16. Whole head of garlic             -  1 small, with all the cloves separated and peeled
17. Ground Coriander                 -  1 Tbsp
18. Ground Turmeric                  -  1/2 tsp

1. Grind cumin seeds, red chilies, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, black mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds in a spice grinder.
2. In a bowl mix the ground spices, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Mix and set aside. [I kept it for over 2 hrs. I didn't mean to keep it that much...by the time chicken got defrosted, cleaned and cut, my photography session, some serious TV watching in between, 2 hrs passes just like that...]
3. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium flame and in the onions. Fry, stirring frequently, until the onions turn brown and crisp. I added a pinch of salt in order to cook the onions faster. When salt is added the onions releases moisture. Continue sauteing till its dry and oil starts to appear and onion turns brown.
4. Switch off the heat. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and put them into the container of an electric blender or food processor. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the blender and puree the onions. Add this puree to the ground spices in the bowl. (This is the vindaloo paste. It can be made ahead of time and frozen.)
5. Dry off the chicken cubes with a paper towel.
6. Put the ginger and garlic into the container of an electric blender or food processor. Add 2 to 3 Tablespoons of water and blend until you have a smooth paste.
7. Heat the oil remaining in the pot once again over a medium-high flame.
8. When hot, put in the chicken cubes, a few at a time, and brown them lightly on all sides, sealing the moisture for few seconds.
9. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and keep in a bowl. Do all the lamb this way.
10. Now add the ginger-garlic paste into the same pot. Turn down the heat to medium. Stir the paste for a few seconds.
11. Add the coriander and tumeric. Stir for another few seconds.
12. Add the vindaloo paste and saute for sometime.
13. Add the chicken pieces, any juices that may have accumulated and 1 cup water (or stock). Bring to a boil.
14. Cover and simmer gently on low heat for sometime or until chicken is cooked. Stir a few times during this cooking period.
15. Switch off the heat and let it sit there for sometime for the flavours to infuse in to the chicken.