Spicy Beef Vindaloo

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Please let this sentence serve as my formal announcement that this is NOT a traditional vindaloo recipe. Most of the ingredients in authentic vindaloo are used in this variation, but I’ve also added some other non-traditional ingredients to this beef curry to make it my own. It’s rich, flavorful, spicy and absolutely delicious.

A little background on vindaloo and it’s history: traditionally, this spicy curry comes from the Goa region of India. It was originally introduced by the Portuguese during the colonial period, and is adapted from “vinha d’alhos,” which essentially translates to “wine and garlic marinade.”

According to my research, the original vinha d’alhos (not the version of the dish that exists today) is best described as a “watery stew.” Which may explain why Goan chefs felt the need to modify and improve the recipe.

All vindaloo recipes must contain two key ingredients: vinegar and garlic (hence the name). The “vinha” comes from the fact that the original Portuguese version was made with wine vinegar. “Alhos” translates to garlic.

See below for a more detailed breakdown of the ingredients in this recipe (and for substitutions if you can’t find some of them).

Table of Contents

Quick Recipe Overview

Flavors: This spicy curry really is an explosion of flavors (I’m sorry to have to say it like that). The vinegar in the marinade gives it a sharp, tangy flavor that pairs perfectly with the richness of the meat. The blend of spices create an aromatic and delicious gravy that is spicy, earthy and rich all at once.

Tips for the best vindaloo:

• The vinegar and garlic in this recipe are a must. They create the distinct flavor profile of vindaloo. You can use palm vinegar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even red wine vinegar
• A good chili powder (Kashmiri, if possible) takes this recipe to the next level. See the post below or the recipe card for a more detailed explanation
• Unfortunately, a little patience helps a lot with this recipe: the longer the meat marinates, the better the flavors. Adding the broth gradually and cooking the vindaloo slowly is also important to ensure the meat turns out perfectly tender

Difficulty: Getting the right ingredients for this recipe is probably the trickiest part, as some can be hard to find in typical grocery stores. After that, everything for the marinade gets blended and it comes together in one pot. Because of the ingredient list and the patience factor, I’ll rate the difficulty of this recipe as medium.

Time: Whenever meat is marinated, more time always equals more flavor. Putting the recipe together is actually really quick, but between marinating and cooking, this recipe does take at least a few hours from start to finish. It’s worth it though, I promise. See the Recipe FAQ section for slow cooker instructions if you just don’t have that kind of time.

How to make Spicy Beef Vindaloo

To make the process easier, this recipe can basically be broken down into two parts: the marinade or curry paste, which will also be used as the base for the gravy or curry sauce, and the curry itself.

Let’s start with the marinade: it’s super quick and easy to put together because everything gets blended until smooth. The chili powder (ideally Kashmiri) and the paprika both play a big role in the signature flavors of the marinade, and lots of other earthy and bold spices come together to create an absolutely flavor-packed sauce. The meat is combined with the marinade, and then we let that sit.

Then, we’ll use the marinated meat and all that spicy, flavorful curry paste as the base of our curry. Traditionally, the curry is actually quite simple in terms of ingredients. You’ll need oil or ghee (clarified butter), onion, broth and salt. I’ve thrown in some bell peppers to add some extra vegetables, and some cream to make this curry saucier and creamier than authentic vindaloo recipes.

Here’s how to make this Spicy Beef Vindaloo

Taste and Measure the Chili Powder

If possible, try to use Kashmiri chili powder in this recipe. This is the type of chili powder that has been used in authentic vindaloo recipes since its creation. It is typically made from dried Kashmiri chilies, and is usually milder than other chili powders like Cayenne. Its flavor profile is often described as mild, smoky, fruity and slightly sweet. However, some Kashmiri chili powders can still be quite spicy, so you definitely want to start with less, then taste and add up to a tablespoon based on your preference. Remember that the curry will get a little spicier as it marinates and sits. Vindaloo is supposed to be a spicy curry, but too much spice will just overpower the other flavors.

Depending on the store or brand, Kashmiri powder can be labeled a few different ways. It’s common to see it labeled as “Kashmiri chili powder” or as “Kashmiri Mirch.” Both these labels indicate pure Kashmiri chili powder. It can sometimes be labeled as “Deggi Mirch,” but typically this is a blend that contains other pepper powders to make it milder. Either will work for this recipe because you can always add more cayenne pepper to taste if you don’t find it spicy enough. With the variations in individual chili powders and blends, you can see why tasting your marinade is so important for this recipe.

If you can’t find it, don’t worry! Replace it with any other chili powder you have on hand (just not cayenne which would make the end result extremely spicy). If you’re replacing it with a spicy chili powder, you can replace up to half the required Kashmiri chili powder with paprika. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon each of chili powder and paprika. So, if your chili powder is very spicy, you can use 1 ½ teaspoons (or half a tablespoon) of chili powder, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons paprika (or 1 ½ tablespoons).

Here’s one very important note on chili powders: Indian chili powders differ from American chili powders. Very often, American chili powders contain other spices such as cumin and paprika. They are typically a spice blend rather than a pure spice. Indian chili powders, on the other hand, are typically only made from dried chilies, either a single type or multiple types, and do not include other spices. They’re more like Cayenne powder, which is only made from cayenne peppers.

If you’re using American chili powder for this recipe (which is totally fine and will turn out great!), make sure you taste the marinade before combining it with the meat and adding the remaining spices. You may want to reduce the amount of cumin in the recipe to ½ teaspoon, but aside from that you can substitute Kashmiri chili powder for an equal amount of American chili powder (since it already contains paprika). And don’t worry, the paprika will still give the dish its distinct red color.

Prepare the Marinade/Curry Paste

Now that I’ve given you whole a lesson on chili powders that you did not ask for, let’s get into the other spices and aromatics in the marinade: paprika, smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, whole black peppercorns, fenugreek, dry mustard, cayenne, turmeric, cloves, brown sugar, fresh ginger and garlic, and vinegar. The rich and spicy curry paste is the most important part of this dish, because it’s where all the flavor starts. It’s also what gives the vindaloo its distinct bold and spicy but tangy flavor profile, and it’s signature deep red color.

All vindaloos must contain vinegar and garlic (it’s right there in the name). Originally, wine vinegar was used in vinha d’alhos by the Portuguese when the dish was introduced. However, wine vinegar was not available in India. So, Goan chefs started to use palm vinegar to make vindaloo. This is now the type of vinegar used to make authentic vindaloo, but it can be a little hard to find. Pretty much any type of vinegar works great for this recipe. I use white vinegar, but you can also use red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or even apple cider vinegar. For the garlic, just peel the cloves because we’re gonna blend it all up anyway.

The other spices and ingredients in the marinade are used to help create the distinct flavors in vindaloo. Some, like coriander and cumin, add earthy flavors. Others, like cinnamon and brown sugar (or jaggery, if you can find it), help balance the bold and spicy flavors in the dish. If you’re missing one or two of the listed spices, don’t worry, just leave it out. Try not to skip too many, but if you can’t include everything, the end result will still be delicious. The absolutely essential ingredients are the vinegar, garlic, chili powder and paprika, so make sure to include those.

Combine all the spices, brown sugar, ginger and garlic with the vinegar and water and blend until smooth. You can strain the mixture if you want to, but it’s not necessary. Just make sure there are no large pieces remaining after blending. Cut the meat into cubes or strips, then season it on all sides with ½ teaspoon of salt. Pour the marinate over the meat and mix to ensure all pieces are coated. Cover, refrigerate and marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight. It’s going to look like there is a lot of marinade, and that’s exactly what you want because it’s going to be the base for our curry sauce.

Make the Curry

When your meat is almost done marinating (or when you’re tired of waiting), you can get started on the curry. I use beef for this recipe, but the most traditional option would be pork. Many vindaloo recipes are also made with lamb/mutton, goat or chicken. Use whatever meat and you prefer! If you’re using beef, any cut will work perfectly because it cooks slowly, so even fattier cuts will turn out tender. I use whatever cut of beef I have on hand like chuck or steak.

Dice your onion and vegetables of choice. I use yellow cooking onions, but red onion is great as well. Traditional vindaloo recipes do not include vegetables, but I added some bell peppers. Leave them out altogether if you prefer to stick to the authentic recipe.

The curry comes together in one pot, so start by warming a large pot over medium heat. Once the pot is hot, add the oil or ghee. Any neutral oil will work just fine for this recipe (I used avocado oil), but you can also use more traditional options like ghee or mustard oil, if you have it.

Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent (about 4-5 minutes), then add your vegetables of choice. Increase the heat to medium-high then add your marinated beef to the pot as well as ALL of the marinade (like, every last drop). Cook that for 1-2 minutes to sear, stirring continuously. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 3-4 minutes. By now, the marinade will smell amazing but there won’t be much liquid in the pot.

Vindaloo gets cooked by slowly adding broth to the pot, then waiting for it to reduce before adding more. Once you’ve added the marinade to the pot and cooked it for a few minutes, pour in your first cup of beef broth. Stir it well to combine it with the curry paste. Partially cover the pot and cook over medium-low heat for about 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, or until most of the broth has reduced. Make sure the heat is set to medium-low so that it doesn’t burn as the liquid reduces.

You’ll know when it’s time to pour in the remaining beef broth. Most of the liquid in the pot will have evaporated, and when the contents of the pot are pushed to the side, the bottom of the pot will be visible because the curry will be thick enough that it doesn’t spread much.

A little side note: if you plan on serving this with Basmati rice, now would be a great time to get started on that.

Once you’ve poured in the second cup of broth, partially cover the pot again, and repeat the last step: cook for another 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Once your broth has reduced a second time, test your meat with a fork or dull knife. It should be very tender. If it’s not tender enough for your liking, you can add an extra ½ cup of beef broth or water and cook until reduced again. The overall cooking time will depend on the cut of meat you’re using, as some cuts may take a little longer to tenderize than others. I typically don’t have to cook it for more than 2 hours using beef. If you’re using chicken, it should be ready in under an hour.

Taste, Season and Add the Cream

Once your meat is fork tender, taste the gravy: if you find it’s too spicy, add up to a tablespoon of brown sugar, and season with additional salt to taste.

Traditional vindaloo is a semi-dry and thick curry. It doesn’t usually contain a large amount of sauce or gravy like many other curries do. When I first created this recipe, I had just made a fresh batch of naan bread, so I wanted it to be extra saucy. I decided to add some cream to increase the amount of gravy and create the most perfect spicy, silky sauce. It was a fantastic decision, honestly.

You can add as much or as little cream as you’d like. I found ½ cup of half and half cream was perfect, but you can start with ¼ cup and add more to taste. Or, to keep it authentic, you can leave out the cream altogether and serve the curry with its traditional semi-dry gravy. In terms of curries, vindaloo is on the spicier side. Adding cream will also tone down the overall spice level of the dish, so taste as you add and stop as soon as you’ve reached your ideal level of spice and creaminess.

Garnish and Serve

This is obviously the best step since you’ve waited so long for that meat to be fall-apart tender.

Serve the vindaloo with Basmati rice, naan bread or both. You can garnish it with some finely chopped fresh cilantro as well, but that’s totally optional.

If you have leftovers (I doubt you will), they’re even better the next day.

Recipe FAQs

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Recipe Card

Spicy Beef Vindaloo

by Jenna

A non-traditional take on a classic curry from the Goa region of India, made in one pot with tender beef and a spicy, flavor-packed sauce. Perfect topped with some fresh cilantro and served with Basmati rice or naan bread for dipping.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Servings 2 servings

Equipment

• 1 large pot

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Curry Paste/Marinade

• ▢ 1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder, or other chili powder of choice (see Note 1)
• ▢ 1 tbsp paprika
• ▢ 2 ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 ½ tsp coriander
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp cinnamon
• ▢ 1 tsp whole black peppercorns, or 1 ½ tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• ▢ ½ tsp dry mustard
• ▢ ½ tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste (see Note 1)
• ▢ ¼ tsp turmeric
• ▢ ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• ▢ 1 tsp brown sugar (see Note 2)
• ▢ 2 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced (about 2 tbsp)
• ▢ 8-10 cloves garlic
• ▢ ¼ cup white vinegar (see Note 2)
• ▢ ¼ cup water

Curry

• ▢ 1 lb beef, cut of choice, cut into cubes or strips (see Note 3)
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ 1 tbsp avocado oil or ghee (see Note 2)
• ▢ 1 small onion, diced
• ▢ 2 cups beef stock or broth
• ▢ 1 green or red bell pepper, thinly sliced, optional (see Note 4)
• ▢ ½ cup half and half or heavy cream, optional
• ▢ Basmati rice, for serving
• ▢ Naan bread, for serving
• ▢ Fresh cilantro, chopped, to garnish, optional

Instructions

 

• In a small blender, combine chili powder, paprika, smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, peppercorns, fenugreek, dry mustard, cayenne, turmeric, cloves, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, vinegar and water and blend until very smooth (see Note 5)
• Taste the curry paste; if it's too spicy, add a little more brown sugar
• Season beef cubes with salt and place in a medium bowl or container
• Pour the marinade over the beef cubes and mix to ensure all pieces are well coated
• Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight
• Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil
• Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes, then add the bell peppers and stir
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add the marinated beef to the pot
• Cook for 1-2 minutes to sear, stirring continuously
• Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook for 3-4 minutes
• Uncover and add 1 cup beef broth, stirring to combine with curry paste
• Allow to cook, partially covered, for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until beef is very tender, stirring every 15 minutes or so and adding broth as soon as the liquid has mostly reduced (around every 30-40 minutes; the sauce will keep reducing as it cooks)
• Taste and season with additional salt if desired
• Add cream if desired to create a smoother, creamier gravy (vindaloo is traditionally semi-dry and thick, so you can skip the cream and serve it that way)
• Serve with basmati rice and naan and sprinkled with fresh cilantro

Notes

1. If possible, use Kashmiri chili powder as this is the type traditionally used to give vindaloo its signature color and flavor. Before adding, taste it and see how spicy it is. If it’s very spicy, you can either reduce the amount of chili powder or cayenne pepper to taste, or substitute with up to half paprika. If you can’t find Kashmiri chili powder, don’t worry; just use any chili powder you have on hand. The flavors will likely be a little different because a lot of chili powders are a blend that includes cumin and other spices, but the end result will still be delicious.

2. A few ingredients in this recipe are not entirely authentic because they can be a little hard to find. Traditional vindaloo recipes would use jaggery in place of brown sugar, and palm vinegar. White vinegar, red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar are all great substitutes. Mustard oil would also be the fat of choice, but can be substituted for any neutral oil or ghee.

3. Any cut of beef can be used for this recipe such as chuck or round roast. Just make sure to cut it against the grain. Traditional vindaloo recipes are often made with pork, lamb or goat meat, but you can use chicken as well. If you’re using chicken, you can reduce the cooking time to 1 hour.

4. Authentic vindaloo recipes typically do not include vegetables, so you can leave them out if you prefer.

5. If you’re missing one or two of the spices, don’t worry. Just leave it out. The essential spices here are the chili powder and the paprika, so make sure not to skip those. If you don’t have smoked paprika, just use more regular paprika. I’d recommend adding in the fenugreek as well if you can find it because it adds an amazing flavor to curries that is hard to replicate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 604kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 60gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 1783mgPotassium: 1574mgFiber: 8gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 6532IUVitamin C: 86mgCalcium: 242mgIron: 9mg

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