Chicken vindaloo, a Portu-Indian favorite. Mine is slightly untraditional, but generally easier to make if you don’t have an Indo-Asian food store to buy some of the more traditional ingredients in. This recipe has been refined over about 12 years, and is one of my oldest loves.
3 lbs chicken (I prefer boneless, skinless breasts)
1 onion (chopped fine)
2 tomatoes (chopped well)
8-10 new potatoes (a rough pound)
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tbsp molasses
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp mustard seed (ground, or dry mustard powder)
2 large cloves garlic (chopped fine)
4 jalapeno or green chili peppers (seeded for less heat, chopped fine regardless)
1/2 tsp crushed chili pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
Fresh cilantro
In a Pyrex dish (or other glass, I suppose) combine molasses, vinegar, turmeric, coriander, cumin, ground mustard seed, peppers (not the crushed) and garlic- mix thouroughly. Mix in chicken to coat well. Cover and allow to marinate in fridge 8-24 hours.
Get the potatoes cooking in a pot. In Wok or chef skillet (or pot, if you must), cook the onions and crushed pepper in canola oil, stirring frequently until onion begins to brown before adding tomatoes. Cook about 5 minutes to soften then add chicken soup from fridge. Cook on high heat, uncovered stirring well occasionaly for about 10 minutes. Cover, reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes. Halve the potatoes and add them, continuing to simmer another 15 minutes. Add cilantro just before serving.
Serves 6. Prep time about 30 minutes, 1 day marinade, ~1 hour cook time.