Pressure Cooker Goan Chicken Vindaloo

What is Chicken Vindaloo? Is Vindaloo authentic Indian?

What does chicken vindaloo taste like?

What is the best type of vinegar to use with vindaloo sauce?

How to make chicken vindaloo

You can make this chicken vindaloo recipe either on a stovetop or a pressure cooker. I prefer an electric pressure cooker such as Instant Pot or Mealthy because it cooks unmonitored in about 5 minutes. 

1. Marinate the chicken in oil, salt, turmeric, ginger, and garlic paste. Set it aside for about 30 minutes or overnight in a refrigerator.
   Marinade for Chicken Vindaloo - turmeric, salt, oil, ginger and garlic paste.

   Chicken marinated in oil, turmeric, salt, ginger and garlic paste.
2. Make the masala
   • Add oil to a pan kept over medium heat. Add the spices along with garlic and stir fry till the spices turn fragrant (takes about a minute)
   • Grind the spices along with coarsely chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup vinegar to make a fine paste.
     Saute the spices along with garlic in a teaspoon of oil

     Blend all the spices along with vinegar and tomato to a fine paste
3. Making chicken vindaloo in the Instant Pot
   • Add oil in the steel insert of an Instant Pot and press the ‘Saute function’. Set the selection to ‘Normal’ heat. When the oil heats up, add onions and fry them till they are soft and translucent (about 5-6 minutes).
   • Add salt and marinated chicken and mix well. Let the chicken cook for about 2-3 minutes. 
   • Add the ground masala and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water. 
   •  Press the “Warm / Cancel” button and then select “Pressure Cook.” Adjust the time to 5 minutes and set the pressure selection at high. Cover the Instant Pot lid and lock it. Make sure the vent is at sealing position.
   • Once the cooking cycle is complete, move the vent to the venting position to release pressure. Carefully open the lid and give a good stir.
   • Add sugar (if using) and mix well. Do a taste test – add more vinegar/salt if needed.
   • Serve hot with pav or rice/roti or naan.
     

     Add the ground masala paste to the chicken

     The cooked chicken vindaloo after 5 minutes

     Fry the onions till they are soft and translucent

     Add water to the chicken curry

     Add sugar to the Chicken Vindaloo.

     Add the marinated chicken to the stir-fried onions

     Instant Pot Cooking time for Chicken Chettinad

     An overhead shot of Instant Pot Chicken Vindaloo

Variations + Tips / Tricks

1. You can marinate the chicken in the masala that you have created in step 2.  You can set it aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
2. The authentic recipe calls for palm vinegar – if you don’t have that handy substitute it for rice or cider vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar (or jaggery). 
3. You can skip the tomatoes and replace it with fresh tamarind. Take tamarind (the size of a ping pong ball) and soak it in hot water for about 15 minutes. Run it through a sieve. Add the juice along with vinegar to make the base masala. 
4. Add 1/4 cup coconut milk to the masala paste while grinding. Adding coconut milk to the curry was something that Hindus in Goa introduced in this dish. It makes the vindaloo curry sauce creamy. 

What to serve with chicken vindaloo?

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Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo Recipe

Learn how to make this fiery tangy Goan chicken vindaloo curry in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker in no time. It is gluten and dairy free too!

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Marination time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Authentic, Chicken Vindalho, Goan

Method Instant Pot

Diet Gluten-free, Nut-free

Servings 6

Calories 379kcal

Author Anushree Shetty

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

For marinade

• 1.5 lb chicken thighs, cut into two-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon oil, olive or peanut
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 inch-piece ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

For the masala

• 1 teaspoon oil, olive oil or coconut oil
• 10-12 dried red chilies, Kashmiri or Byadgi
• 8 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, jeera seeds
• 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup palm vinegar, or rice vinegar - see notes
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 medium sized tomato, coarsely chopped

For the gravy

• 3 tablespoons oil, olive or coconut
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 1/2 teaspoon salt , or as needed
• 1/2 cup water , or as needed
• 1 tablespoon sugar, only if using rice vinegar instead of palm vinegar

Equipment

• Frying Pan
• Instant Pot

Instructions

Start with the chicken marinade

• Marinate the chicken in oil, salt, turmeric, minced ginger, and garlic. Set it aside for about 20- 30 minutes or overnight in a refrigerator.
• Make the masala
• Add oil to a pan kept over medium heat. Add the spices (red chilies, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick and cloves) along with garlic and stir fry till the spices turn fragrant (takes about a minute)
• Grind the spices along with coarsely chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup vinegar to make a fine paste.

Instant Pot Instructions

• Add oil in the steel insert of an Instant Pot and press the 'Saute function'. Set the selection to 'Normal' heat. When the oil heats up, add onions and fry them till they are soft and translucent (about 5-6 minutes).
• Add salt and marinated chicken and mix well. Let the chicken cook for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the ground masala and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water.
• Press the “Warm / Cancel” button and then select “Pressure Cook.” Adjust the time to 5 minutes and set the pressure selection at high. Cover the Instant Pot lid and lock it. Make sure the vent is at sealing position.
• Once the cooking cycle is complete, move the vent to the venting position to release pressure. Carefully open the lid and give a good stir.
• Add sugar (if using) and mix well. Do a taste test - add more vinegar/salt if needed.
• Serve hot with pav or rice/roti or naan.

Stovetop Instructions

• Add oil in a wok/kadhai kept over medium heat. When the oil heats up, add onions and fry them till they are soft and translucent (about 5-6 minutes).
• Add salt and marinated chicken and mix well. Let the chicken cook for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the ground masala and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well.
• Cover and cook the chicken for about 15-20 minutes while stirring occasionally. Cook till you can easily cut the chicken pieces into two using a fork/spoon.
• Remove the lid and add sugar (if using) and mix well. Do a taste test - add more vinegar/salt if needed.
• Serve hot with pav or rice/roti or naan.

Notes

Variations + Tips / Tricks

• You can marinate the chicken in the masala that you have created in step 2.  You can set it aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
• The authentic recipe calls for palm vinegar - if you don't have that handy substitute it for rice or cider vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar (or jaggery).
• Also, although the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of vinegar, use only 1/4 at first. Add the remaining 1/4 cup after the chicken is cooked - one tablespoon at the time, followed by a taste test. This prevents the dish from becoming super tangy. 
• You can skip the tomatoes and replace it with fresh tamarind. Take tamarind (the size of a ping pong ball) and soak it in hot water for about 15 minutes. Run it through a sieve. Add the juice along with vinegar in the blender for making the base masala.
• Add 1/4 cup coconut milk to give it a creamy touch. Add this in the blender for making the base masala.

Disclaimer: Approximate Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients/brands used. If you have health issues, please work with a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 379 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 12g60%

Cholesterol 111mg37%

Sodium 482mg20%

Potassium 407mg12%

Carbohydrates 13g4%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 260IU5%

Vitamin C 8.7mg11%

Calcium 42mg4%

Iron 1.5mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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