This spicy, tangy pork vindaloo Instant Pot recipe hails from Goa, India. I’ve adapted my mother-in-law’s authentic stovetop recipe for the pressure cooker. Instructions for chicken, beef, lamb vindaloo, and the stovetop are also included.
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Table of Contents
- Introduction – History of Vindaloo
- Ingredients and Tips – Key Ingredients
- Cooking Instructions – Instant Pot Method
- Recipe Card
- Variations
- Related Recipes
– Recipe Tips
– FAQs
– Stovetop Method
ℹ Introduction
I didn’t grow up eating this classic Goan curry because I’m not from Goa. However, my husband’s family is Goan, and my mother-in-law Grace is an excellent cook. I adapted her authentic recipe for the pressure cooker.
Vindaloo (pronounced vin-duh-loo) is a popular dish in Indian restaurants, especially in the UK. It has a reputation for being a hot and spicy curry.
At an Indian restaurant, vindaloo usually has a generic curry base, with vinegar and a whole lot of chili peppers thrown in.
Sometimes, these dishes are so spicy that you don’t experience the nuanced flavors. Spiciness should not define the dish; it’s not supposed to be unbearably hot and spicy.
Restaurant vindaloos can differ from traditional Goan pork curry in some other ways. Authentic vindaloo curry is made with pork, contains neither tomatoes nor vegetables, and is spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet.
➡ Have you tried my other Indian recipes? You may like Instant Pot Chicken Korma, Instant Pot Lamb Biryani, Instant Pot Chicken Curry, or Instant Pot Lamb Curry!
📚 History of Vindaloo
You probably already know that Britain ruled India for centuries. You may not know that the Portuguese arrived in India in the late 15th century.
Portugal established Goa as a colony in the late 17th century and ruled the state until the early 1960s.
The Portuguese introduced carne vinha d’alhos (pork with garlic wine), a relatively mild dish.
Local Indians changed the pronunciation to vindaloo. They added ginger, black pepper, tamarind, cardamom, and other Indian ingredients for more flavor.
Goans eat this pork curry with pao (pronounced pow), which means bread in Portuguese. You tear off a European-style crusty dinner roll and dip it in the curry sauce.
Authentic vindaloo is traditionally made with pork and doesn’t contain vegetables or tomatoes, distinguishing it from restaurant versions.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients You’ll Need for Instant Pot Pork Vindaloo
💡 Recipe and Ingredient Tips
🧅 Onions
- The key to flavor: Golden brown onions, which require patience!
- Pro tip: Don’t wash the blender after blending the spice mix – blend onions in it to capture all the flavors.
- Sauté the onions in stages:
- Initial liquid release (8-10 mins, occasional stirring)
- After liquid evaporation, watch closely to prevent burning
- Deglaze with water as needed, stirring constantly
- For a chunkier texture: Finely chop onions instead of blending.
🍖 Meat
- Best for the Instant Pot: Fattier cuts like pork shoulder or country-style ribs.
- Versatile recipe: Try other cuts of meat. See the section on meat variations.
🌶️ Spices
- Freshly ground spices: Add excellent flavor. Use these approximate conversions for powders:
- 6 whole Kashmiri chilies = 1 ½ tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds = 2 ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 2- inch cinnamon stick = 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 6 cardamom pods seeds only = ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 tsp whole black pepper = 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 whole cloves = ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds = ¾ teaspoon black mustard powder
- Spicier vindaloo: Add some more whole red chilies or chili powder.
- Kashmiri chilies: They’re the secret to that gorgeous red color! If you can’t find them substitute with milder red chilies + paprika for color.
🥘 Flavor Substitutions
- Tamarind paste: Homemade tamarind is best, but store-bought also works. Remember, Indian tamarind paste is stronger than Thai – adjust accordingly!
- Feni: The traditional recipe uses the Goan spirit feni (pronounced fay-nee), a powerful Goan spirit/liquor that isn’t readily available. I use brandy instead. Try it in a small portion first to see if you like it!
🛠️ Troubleshooting
- Burn message: Add an extra ¼ cup of water and deglaze well.
❓ FAQs
No, you can double the ingredients and keep the cooking time the same.
If the curry is too runny, there are two possible reasons. You may have added too much water, or the meat may have released a lot of liquid. Heat the curry in Saute mode for about 15 minutes to reduce the liquid. You can also add a bit of cornstarch mixed with water to thicken the curry.
Yes, you can use Kashmiri chili powder. Add about 1 to 2 tablespoons, depending on how spicy you’d like it to be. You can also use cayenne pepper or another type of chili powder. The quantity will depend on the spice level of the chili powder.
For Instant Pot chicken vindaloo with bone in chicken thighs, you might need to add some extra liquid. Pressure cook for about 10 minutes on High Pressure.
Yes, you can make this curry a day ahead of time. It tastes even better the next day.
Make sure that you deglaze the bottom of the inner pot really well before pressure cooking. Add extra water to the curry to prevent the burn message.
Cooking Instructions
⏲️ Instant Pot Method
- Grind whole spices
- Blend marinade ingredients
- Marinate the meat
- Blend the onions
- Add the onions to the Instant Pot
- Caramelize the onions
- Saute meat and add water
- Pressure cook and release pressure
- Reduce the sauce
- In a food processor or blender, pulse Kashmiri chilies, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, cinnamon stick, cardamom seeds, black pepper, whole cloves, and black mustard seeds until they become a fine powder.
- Add the rest of the ingredients for the marinade: garlic, ginger, tamarind paste, salt, brown sugar, and white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Blend to a smooth paste, adding water as needed to make sure the contents of the blender are able to move freely, but not too much. When you’re finished, the paste should be the consistency of pesto.
- Marinate meat in this spice blend in a medium bowl and set aside for 15 minutes to (preferably) overnight.
- Blend the onions until the onions are smooth. I use the same blender I grind the spices in, without rinsing. The blended onions will get the color of the spice blend.
- Turn on Saute mode, and heat oil once the Instant Pot has heated up.
- Saute onions until the onion juice has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 8 to 10 minutes, the liquid will evaporate and you’ll be left with a thick paste.
- Once the liquid has evaporated, stir more frequently to keep the onions from burning; they can burn in seconds!
- If the onions stick to the bottom, add water one tablespoon at a time to loosen them.
- After about 5 minutes, the onions will become a thick paste, caramelized and fragrant.
- Deglaze with more water if there’s anything stuck to the bottom of the pot before adding the meat, and stir to loosen any brown bits.
- Add 2 more tablespoons oil and marinated pork, chicken, or lamb.
- Saute for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring well. Press ‘Cancel’ and deglaze to make sure there isn’t anything stuck to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Stir in ¾ cup water.
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
- The display will go from On to 12:00. The float valve will go up after a few minutes. The display will count down to 00:00.
- Do a natural release of pressure. Once the float valve goes down, the lid can be opened.
If the curry is too thin, turn on Saute mode and reduce the gravy until you get your desired consistency. If you wish, you can thicken with cornstarch mixed with cold water (about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water).
Serve with crusty french bread, naan, or Instant Pot rice: basmati rice, jasmine rice or brown rice.
♨️ Stovetop Method for Vindaloo
- Blend the marinade.
- Blend the onions.
- Saute onions till golden brown.
- Saute the meat briefly.
- Stir in water, cover, and cook until meat is tender.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Instant Pot Vindaloo
Ingredients
- 6 whole Kashmiri chilies stems removed
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2- inch cinnamon stick
- 6 cardamom pods seeds only
- 1 tsp whole black pepper
- 8 whole cloves
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon tamarind paste or homemade tamarind paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- Water for spice paste + ¾ to 1 cup water + more for deglazing
- 1 ½ lbs boneless country style Pork ribs (or boneless skinless chicken thighs or beef chuck, or lamb) – Cut into 1 ½ inch pieces (⅔ kg)
- 3 cups onion chopped
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Brandy optional *
Instructions
Marinade
- In a food processor or blender, pulse Kashmiri chillies, cumin seeds, turmeric, cinnamon stick, cardamom seeds, black pepper, cloves and mustard seeds until powdered.
- Add garlic, ginger, tamarind, salt, brown sugar and vinegar.
- Blend to a smooth paste, adding just enough water to make sure the contents of the blender are able to move freely. When you’re finished, the spice paste should be the consistency of a thick pesto.
- Transfer spice blend to a large bowl and marinate meat in spice paste for 30 minutes to (preferably) overnight.
- Blend the onions in the same blender/food processor, without washing the jar. The blended onions will get the color of the spice paste.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Select the Saute function of the Instant Pot.
- When the inner pot has heated, add 2 tablespoons oil.
- Saute onions until the onion juice has evaporated, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- ** Once the liquid has evaporated, stir more frequently to keep the onions from burning; they can burn in seconds!
- If the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the Instant Pot, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to deglaze. Keep stirring and adding water as needed, but only a little at a time.
- After about 5 minutes, the onions will become a thick paste, caramelized and fragrant.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and deglaze with more water if there’s anything stuck to the bottom of the pot, stirring to loosen any brown bits.
- Select the Saute function again.
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to the inner pot and add in the marinated meat.
- Saute meat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Deglaze if needed, to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Press Cancel. Add ¾ cup water and stir to combine.
- Close the lid and pressure cook.Pork or Beef: 15 minutes, Chicken: 4 minutes, Lamb: 20 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR). [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- If the curry is too thin, heat in Saute mode and reduce until it gets to your desired consistency. You can also thicken the curry with a cornstarch slurry (mixture of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water.)
- Transfer vindaloo to a serving dish. Serve with crusty bread, naan or rice.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat oil in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Saute onions until the onion juice has evaporated, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. (Once the liquid has evaporated, stir more frequently to keep the onions from burning; they can burn in seconds! If the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the Instant Pot, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to deglaze. Keep stirring and adding hot water as needed, but only a little at a time.)
- Keep sauteing till the onions are caramelized and golden brown in color.
- Add some more oil and stir in the marinated meat. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in half cup of hot water for chicken and one cup water for pork or lamb. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and cook until meat is tender. (Check and stir occasionally to make sure the curry doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Add more hot water as needed.)Chicken: cook for 20 minutes or until tender.Pork, beef, or lamb: cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours. After one hour of cooking, taste and adjust with more sugar, salt, vinegar as needed.
- Transfer vindaloo to a serving dish. Serve with crusty bread, naan or rice.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. minced garlic, cut up meat, etc.
- Instead of blending the onions, you can finely chop the onions. In that case, your curry might be less thick.
- * If you have access to the Goan liquor called feni, finish with 1 to 2 tablespoons after cooking is complete. You can also substitute brandy for the Feni. I suggest adding a little bit to one serving and taste before you add it to the entire dish.
- If using store-bought tamarind paste, different tamarind pastes have different strengths. The Indian version is much stronger than the Thai version. If using the Indian version, decrease the quantity.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Vindaloo Variations
While pork is the traditional choice for vindaloo, this recipe works well with other meats. Chicken provides a lighter option, while lamb adds a robust, slightly gamey flavor. Beef makes this a hearty, satisfying dish.
| Meat Type | Cut (1.5 lbs / 680 g) | Pressure Cook Time (High Pressure) |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | Boneless country-style ribs or shoulder | 15 minutes |
| Chicken | Boneless, skinless thighs | 4 minutes |
| Lamb | Cubed lamb | 20 minutes |
| Beef | Chuck, cubed | 15 minutes |
✏️ Tips for variations
- Cut the meat in 1.5 inch pieces for even cooking
- Adjust spice levels to your preference
- Allow for natural pressure release after cooking
- If the curry is too thin, reduce it using the Saute function after pressure cooking
More Instant Pot Indian Recipes
Susan Larson says
Cooked once, doing it again now!
Neena Panicker says
I’m glad you liked the vindaloo recipe, Susan! Thanks for commenting.
Mel Johansson says
There are two final steps in one set of instructions that tell you to cook and add the eggs.
What eggs? Cook them how?
This is the only place on the page (I ran a search) where eggs are mentioned. They’re not in the list of ingredients anywhere.
Neena Panicker says
Mel, I’m sorry but that was a bad job of cut and paste. I’ve removed the references and replaced them with “reduce the sauce”. Thank you so much for pointing it out!
Linda Lee Fuhrman says
I love Neena’s recipes. Made this for my husband who was a little skeptical. He absolutely loved it, and so did I!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
That’s so great to hear, Linda. Thank you for your comment!
Gillian says
Hi Neena I am making g the pork vindaloox2 recipes should I do 1.5 cups water or just 3/4 cups please advise..tks xo
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Gillian, have you made the recipe before and had no issues with 3/4 cup? You could try out 1 cup but to be safe I’d just double the liquid.
Barbara says
Quick question and I will give this a whirl – I have Kashmiri chili powder that I just bought – was hoping I can use in place of the dried chiles – if so, what amount would you recommend?
Thanks so much – you are my go-to site for fabulous insta pot recipes❣️
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Barbara, it all depends on how spicy you would like the curry to be. 2 to 3 teaspoons will be a good start.
John B says
Hi Neena,
Can I substitute chicken for the pork? Would I do anything different? And, if I cannot find Kashmiri chilies what should I use as a substitute? Can I use dried Kashmiri chilies if I can find them? I
Thank you so much
Paint the Kitchen Red says
John, yes you can use chicken. Bite-size boneless chicken thighs will cook in 4 minutes. Larger pieces, another 1 to 2 minutes. Bone-in chicken will be about 8 to 9 minutes – but you’ll need to add some extra liquid because you might have sealing issues. Yes, dried Kashmiri chilies are what you need to use. If you can’t find them, just substitute cayenne pepper powder or another dried chili (just watch for the spice level). Hope you enjoy the recipe.
David says
RE: Tamarind paste. How much would you reduce the quantity if using the Indian variant vs. the Thai variant?
Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
David, if you’re using tamicon brand, try about 3/4 to 1 teaspoon. You can always adjust the tanginess by adding more vinegar at the end.