Chicken Vindaloo

Chicken Vindaloo was one of those curries I steered away from, purely because of the heat that it can contain. However, I finally took the plunge to try it out, but reduced the amount of chilli in it. If you like a hot vindaloo, just make sure to add more chilli to this recipe.

Vindaloo uses vinegar and sugar, (I use raw honey as a healthier alternative). Using vinegar and honey is different to what I normally use for my other curries and I was curious to try it out. It’s become a regular meal in our household and goes equally well with beef (brisket is ideal) as it does chicken. It is a delicious meal and ideal for an autumnal or winter’s evening, curled up in front of the fire.

Chicken vindaloo can be cooked on the stove as well as in the slow cooker. If you cook in the slow cooker, the meat will fall apart and has time to fully absorb all the delectable flavours too.

Chicken vindaloo is delicious served up on a bed of pilau rice.

Chicken Vindaloo

Serves 4 as a main course

4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs, skinned and on the bone

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 medium red onions, sliced lengthways

6 cloves of garlic, chopped chunky

6 large tomatoes, quartered

5 cm piece cinnamon stick

2 cloves

1 star anise

3 tsp garam masala

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

Pinch chilli flakes (for hotter vindaloo add more)

Pinch salt

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp honey

2 tbsp Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche (optional)

How to prepare Chicken Vindaloo

On the stove:

Heat the coconut oil in a large pan and add the cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves. Fry for approximately 30 seconds. Add the onions and fry for 10 minutes on a medium heat until they are beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic, garam masala, cumin, chilli flakes, turmeric and salt and fry for 30 seconds.

Pour in the tinned tomatoes along with the chicken and combine well. Cover with a well-fitting lid and simmer for 40 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. 10 minutes before serving, add the quartered tomatoes, vinegar and honey to the pan and cook uncovered until ready to serve.

Ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and serve with warm pitta bread and pilau rice. A swirl of Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche gives this meal an added softness if you fancy making it a little less acidic.

In the slow cooker:

Personally I prefer this dish when it is cooked in the slow cooker as it gives the ingredients time to marinate the meat and the meat falls apart easily. Chicken vindaloo in the slow cooker is as easy as adding all the ingredients and cooking on a high heat setting for 6 hours. If you need to cook it for longer, use a medium heat for 8 hours. If you have the opportunity, reserve the quartered tomatoes for the last hour of cooking to prevent them falling apart.

(Beef vindaloo is another delicious alternative. A brisket joint works very well with this recipe – just ensure you cook it for the full 8 hours on a high heat. By the time you come to serve it up, the beef will fall apart and you will have a deliciously warming and flavoursome meal).

If you enjoy a creamier flavour, stir a little Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche through the meal before serving.

Serve it up on a bed of rice with warmed pitta breads.