Herb Fed Chicken Vindaloo

Herb Fed Chicken Vindaloo

  • Thigh
  • 4-6
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Medium
Vindaloo is thought to have started life as a Portuguese dish, carne de vinha d'alhos (meat marinated in wine and garlic), which travelled to the Portuguese colony of Goa and was supercharged into the fiery curry we know today. It works perfectly with chicken thighs. Don't be put off: it's not quite as fiery as you might imagine. This one has a beautiful warmth that lets the flavours and spices really work together, complementing one another. Give it a go; you won't regret it. Recipe courtesy of Stephanie Birkett.

Ingredients

Tandoori paste

Makes about 6 tablespoons  |  Prep 5–10 minutes

  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
  • 1 finger (about 3cm) fresh turmeric, peeled
  • 2 red chillies
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 3 tablespoons water

Chicken vindaloo

  • 1kg Herb Fed oyster cut chicken thighs
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 dried chillies
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 3 tablespoons tandoori paste (see above)
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1–2 bird's eye chillies, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons tomato purée
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons honey

Method

  1. In a food processor, whizz together 2 tablespoons of the vinegar with the ginger, dried chillies, cumin, garam masala and 1 tablespoon of the tandoori paste. When you have a smooth paste, tip it over the chicken thighs and massage it into the flesh. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or longer if you can.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Put the chicken into a non-stick baking dish and cook for 30 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the chicken is cooked through with no pink meat remaining.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes until softened. Add the bird's eye chillies, mustard powder, garlic, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds and turmeric, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of tandoori paste with the tomato purée and cook for 2–3 minutes.
  4. Add the tomatoes, honey, the remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 400ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer, season to taste and cook for 5–10 minutes.
  5. Add the roasted chicken and cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.
  6. Serve with rice and a crisp salad.