What is Vindaloo?

Vindaloo or vindalho is an Indian Curry dish popular in the region of Goa, Vasai, the surrounding Konkan, and many other parts of India. It is known globally in its British Indian form as a staple of curry house and Indian restaurant menus and is often regarded as a fiery, spicy dish. It is usually made with pork but can be made with any kind of meat, including beef, mutton, and chicken.

History of Vindaloo

A standard element of Goan cuisine derived from the Portuguese Carne de vinha d'alhos (literally "meat in garlic wine marinade"), vindaloo is a dish of meat (usually pork) marinated in wine and garlic.

The basic structure of the Portuguese dish was the Portuguese sailor's "preserved" raw ingredients, packed in wooden barrels of alternate layers of pork and garlic, and soaked in red wine. This was "Indianized" by the local Goan cooks with the substitution of palm vinegar for the red wine, and the addition of dried red chili peppers with additional spices. It evolved into the localized and easy-to-pronounce dish "vindaloo".

The British Indian version of vindaloo calls for the meat to be marinated in vinegar, sugar, fresh ginger and spices, then cooked with more spices.

Type of Vindaloo

Restaurants in Goa offering traditional Goan cuisine serve vindaloo with pork, which is the original recipe. The dish was popularized by Goan cooks (whom the British favored because they had no issues in kitchens and bars when handling beef, goat meat, pork or alcohol) in the British establishments and the ocean-going liners.

A Kerala version of this recipe includes the usage of drumstick (moringa) tree's bark, which is believed to help with digestion. Restaurants in other parts of India serve vindaloo with chicken or lamb, which is sometimes mixed with cubed potatoes. Even though the word aloo (आलू) means potato in Hindi (as the name is a corruption of a Portuguese phrase with no Hindi etymology) traditional vindaloo does not include potatoes.

Do you want try Vindaloo? Come to The Yarra Indian Restaurant and try our Chicken Vindaloo

Source: Wikipedia