Chicken Vindaloo

Many of us grew up having grandmothers who were wonderful cooks, so we were happy to find this cookbook full of grandmotherly love. In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World, is a memorable compendium of portraits featuring grandmothers around the world alongside their signature family recipes. This chicken vindaloo recipe comes to the book, and to us, courtesy of Grace Estibero, 82, who grew up in the South Indian state of Goa. If you love a good spicy dish, this one is absolutely delicious!

From the Author: "Typical of Indian cooking, chicken vindaloo is a hot dish, which was originally introduced to Goa by the Portuguese. Often served on special occasions, this dish is traditionally prepared with pork, but I am sure you will be fully satisfied with this chicken version."

Ingredients

2 red onions, finely diced
10 dried Thai Chiles or other dried red finger chile
2 fresh hot green chilies, roughly chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground Cassia Indonesian Cinnamon
10 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
One (1/2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground Cumin Seed
10 whole Cloves
10 whole Black Tellicherry Peppercorn
1 teaspoon ground Turmeric
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon sugar
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and freshly ground Black Tellicherry Peppercorn
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

In a blender, combine half of the diced red onions with the red chilies, chopped green chilies, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, cumin, cloves, black peppercorns, turmeric, tamarind paste, sugar, and 1/2 cup of water. Blend until everything is finely chopped. Add another 1/2 cup of water and blend until the mixture becomes a puree.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the remaining diced onions and sauté until they become golden. Add the masala sauce to the pan and stir to combine. Cook the sauce for 5 minutes, then add the chicken pieces. Continue to cook for 18 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Tags: Black Pepper Chicken Chiles Cinnamon Cloves Cumin Curry Dinner Indian Turmeric