Spicy Beef Vindaloo

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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.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Beef, Curries, Indian, One pot, Spicy

Servings: servings

Calories: 604kcal

Author: Jenna

Equipment

1 large pot

Ingredients

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

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