Instant Pot Vindaloo is a spicy, tangy Indian curry from the state of Goa in India. This is a homemade authentic vindaloo curry that comes from my mother-in-law and was adapted for the pressure cooker. Instructions for chicken vindaloo, pork vindaloo, and lamb vindaloo. Instructions for the stovetop version are also included.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Vindaloo 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 Vindaloo dishes are so spicy that you don’t really get to 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 vindaloos in some other ways. Authentic vindaloo curry is made with pork, don’t contain tomatoes or any vegetables, and are spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet.
Here are some other Indian recipes you might like to try out!
– Instant Pot Chicken Korma
– Instant Pot Lamb Biryani
– Instant Pot Chicken Curry
– Instant Pot Lamb Curry
History of Vindaloo
Most people know that Britain ruled India for centuries, but they may not know that Portugal has an even longer history in India. The Portuguese arrived in India in the late 15th century, around the time Columbus landed in the Americas.
The state of Goa became a Portuguese colony in the late 17th century and remained under Portuguese rule until the early 1960s.
So, what’s the Vindaloo connection? Well, the Portuguese came to Goa with their recipes and spices. And they brought with them a dish called Carne Vinha d’alhos which means Pork with Garlic Wine. It’s a fairly mild dish cooked similar to the adobo style of Spanish cooking.
Over time, the local Indians changed the pronunciation of the dish to vindaloo and added their own take to the dish with the addition of ginger, black pepper, tamarind, cardamom, and other Indian ingredients. Note: the Hindi word for potatoes is aloo, but “aloo” in vindaloo has nothing to do with potatoes!
Before the Portuguese came to India, Indians had spiced their dishes with black peppers and not chili peppers. At that time, black pepper was found only in India and was prized in Europe as a luxury product imported from India.
It’s hard to believe that chili peppers, which are essential to today’s Indian cooking, were introduced to India by the Portuguese!
I didn’t grow up eating this class Goan curry, because I’m not from Goa. But my husband’s family is Goan and my mother-in-law Grace is a wonderful cook. I’ve adapted her recipe into an Instant Pot recipe.
In Goa, Vindaloo is eaten with pao (pronounced pow), which means bread in Portuguese. They tear off a piece of European-style crusty dinner roll and dip it in the Vindaloo sauce.
TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Preparation
Indian food requires some patience, mainly with frying the onions. In this Instant Pot vindaloo recipe, the onions are blended and sauteed and this gives the dish a creamy consistency.
If you wish to skip the blending, you can finely chop the onions and saute them. In that case, your curry might be less thick but will be just as tasty.
I don’t wash the blender after blending the spice mix. I blend the onions in the unwashed blender so all the spices get into the onions.
Meat
Instant Pot pork vindaloo: Country-style boneless pork ribs or pork shoulder work perfectly for this dish. If you’re substituting another cut, try not to use lean meat; it’s best to have some fat/marbling for Instant Pot recipes. Cut the pork into 1 1/2 inch pieces and pressure cook for 15 minutes on High Pressure.
Instant Pot chicken vindaloo: This recipe can be made with chicken thighs too. Use 1 1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 2-inch pieces and set the pressure cook time for 4 minutes on High Pressure.
Instant Pot lamb vindaloo: To make the recipe with lamb, use 1 1/2 lbs of lamb, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes, and set the pressure cook time to 20 minutes on High Pressure.
Sauteing the Onions
Initially, when you saute the blended onions, they’ll release a lot of liquid and steam. You might even shed a tear or two! In the first stage, you can stir the onions occasionally. Once all the liquid has evaporated (about 8 to 10 minutes), keep a close eye on the onions because they can burn very quickly.
As soon as you start seeing them brown on the bottom of the inner pot, be sure to deglaze with water, one tablespoon at a time. Keep stirring and add water if needed, a little at a time, until the onions are cooked, begin to caramelize, and are fragrant.
If you don’t want to blend the onions, you can finely chop them and saute them till golden brown before adding the spice mix. Deglaze well.
Deglazing
As soon as you start seeing the blended onions brown on the bottom of the inner pot, be sure to deglaze with hot water, one tablespoon at a time. Keep stirring and add hot water if needed, a little at a time, until the onions are cooked, begin to caramelize, and are fragrant.
Tamarind Paste
I use homemade tamarind paste prepared from tamarind pulp. If using grocery store tamarind paste, different tamarind pastes have different strengths. The Indian tamarind paste is much stronger than the Thai tamarind concentrate. Adjust the quantity according to your tastes.
Indian Spices
This family recipe calls for grinding the whole spices into a fine powder in a blender. Using whole spices makes the dish so much more flavorful. If you don’t have the whole spices on hand or you don’t want to blend the spices, you can use powders. Here are the approximate conversions:
- 6 whole Kashmiri chilies = 1 1/2 Tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin seeds = 2 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 2- inch cinnamon stick = 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 6 cardamom pods seeds only = 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp whole black pepper = 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 8 whole cloves = 3/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds = 3/4 tsp black mustard powder
If you want a more spicy vindaloo, add some more whole red chilies or chili powder.
Kashmiri Chili
Instant Pot Vindaloo’s beautiful deep-red color comes from Kashmiri chilies.
Kashmiri chilies should be available at your local Indian grocery store and they are known for being milder than regular chili peppers but have a deep red color.
You can substitute another red chili pepper, but you might have to decrease the quantity and add some good quality paprika for color.
If you’re sensitive to spice, you can substitute all or part of the chili powder with paprika. If using paprika, make sure it hasn’t been sitting around in your cupboard for ages – try and get a fresh container.
Brandy
The traditional recipe for vindaloo contains feni (pronounced fay-nee), a very strong Goan spirit/liquor that isn’t easily available. I use brandy instead.
The addition of brandy can be an acquired taste. To make sure that you will enjoy the flavor of the brandy, I recommend that you remove a serving of pressure-cooked vindaloo, stir in a half to full teaspoon of brandy, and see if you like the taste, then add more (to taste) to the remaining Instant Pot Vindaloo, and heat through.
Burn Message
If you’re prone to getting the Burn message, add an extra 1/4 cup of water. After pressure cooking is done, you’ll have to reduce the liquid in Saute mode.
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 corn starch 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.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Vindaloo – Ingredients List
- Turmeric
- Cloves
- Cumin
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Black pepper
- Mustard seeds
- Kashmiri chilies
- Vinegar
- Water
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Pork (or chicken or lamb)
- Onion
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Tamarind paste
More details in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post
How to Make Vindaloo in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Grind whole spices
- Blend marinade ingredients
- Marinate the meat
- Blend the onions
- Turn on Saute mode
- Add the onions to Instant Pot
- Caramelize the onions
- Saute meat and add water
- Pressure cook
- Release pressure
- Cook the eggs
- Stir in the eggs
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Grind whole spices
- 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.
Blend marinade ingredients
- 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 the meat
- Marinate meat in this spice blend in a medium bowl and set aside for 15 minutes to (preferably) overnight.
Blend the onions
- 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.
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Add onions to the Instant Pot
- Heat oil once the Instant Pot has heated up.
- Saute onions until the onion juice has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Caramelize the onions
- 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 begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to deglaze, and keep stirring.
- After about 5 minutes, the onions will become a thick paste, caramelized and fragrant.
Saute meat and add water
- 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 3/4 cup water.
- After about 5 minutes, the onions will become a thick paste, caramelized and fragrant.
Pressure Cook
Pressure cook on high pressure:
- Pork – 15 minutes
- Chicken – 4 minutes
- Lamb – 20 minutes
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 15 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads ‘15′ (15 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 15 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 15 minutes (00:15).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Naturally Release Pressure (NPR) on the DUO and ULTRA
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR). The float valve will be in the down position. This may take 15 to 30 minutes. [Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
Reduce the sauce
- 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 Directions for Vindaloo
To make this vindaloo recipe on the stovetop:
- 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
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 whole Kashmiri chilies stems removed
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2- inch cinnamon stick
- 6 cardamom pods seeds only
- 1 tsp whole black pepper
- 8 whole cloves
- 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp ginger finely chopped
- 2 tsp tamarind paste or homemade tamarind paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- Water for spice paste + 3/4 to 1 cup water + more for deglazing
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless country style Pork ribs (or boneless skinless chicken thighs or lamb) – Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 3 cups onion chopped
- 4 Tbsp 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 3/4 cup water and stir to combine.
- Close the lid and pressure cook.Pork: 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 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp cold water.)
- Transfer Instant Pot 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 or lamb: cook for 1 1/2 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
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
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.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
More Instant Pot Indian Recipes
Instant Pot Beef Curry
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala recipe
Instant Pot Chorizo and Potato
NICOLE
Hello!
I commented last year about adding tomatoes to the vindaloo. It actually turned out so yummy so thank you for the response to that. It has been a while and my husband is craving vindaloo. I only have boneless chicken breast and boneless chicken thigh. How would I adjust the times for the different meat?
Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Nicole, thanks for checking back in – I’m glad you like the recipe. If you cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces you can pressure cook for 4 minutes. If you don’t cut it, cook it for about 7 minutes. The breast might overcook, though because thighs cook much better in the IP.
Bill Whisman
I have made this recipe several times and it’s absolutely fantastic. I am in medical sales and call on a Dr. from India. I brought this dish into the office and everyone went crazy over it, especially the doctor! I’m now not allowed to bring lunch without the addition of Pork Vindaloo!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Bill, that’s awesome!! And it’s so wonderful to hear that you’re sharing the recipe with others!
Chris
This was mediocre for vindaloo…. At best.
I am always trying new recipes to see if I can improve this one missed the mark. The sauce needed a lot of reduction yo get a decent consistency and it was missing some flavors that I can’t put my finger on just now. The quest continues
Paint the Kitchen Red
Chris, I’m sorry you were not satisfied with the recipe. If you’re comparing it to a restaurant recipe, it’s likely that it may not taste the same because many restaurants modify the recipe from the traditional e.g. by adding tomatoes. Regarding the quantity of liquid, it’s a fine line you have to walk between having enough liquid to come to pressure vs having too little and getting a burn error. I add just enough liquid to the marinade to blend it but no more. If your marinade is too liquidy and you add liquid to pressure cook also, you can have too much liquid. Good luck with the quest!
Jen
This recipe looks amazing, I can’t wait to try as my husband LOVES Indian food. I am new to instant pot, but recently made a Chicken Tikka Masala recipe (which my husband likes!) and have have many of the spices, but in ground form… What would be the measurements for the spices already ground?
Thanks in advance!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Jen, it’s a bit hard to say exactly but here are estimates:
Kashmiri chili powder – 1 to 2 Tbsp depending on how spicy you want it. I would start with 1 Tbsp and taste. The spice will mellow a bit after pressure cooking.
Cinnamon powder – 1 tsp
Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
Cloves powder – less than 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder – 2 tsp
Black pepper powder – 1 tsp or to taste
Hope your husband likes the recipe!
Albert Chin
Making this for the third time in 3-4 weeks. This dish has been growing on me. I wasn’t fully convinced after the first try because I was eating it with plain basmati rice. I now eat it was basmati rice pilau which adds more flavor. I really like the spiciness as well. I’ve passed on this recipe to some family members hoping they will also enjoy it.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for your comment, Albert, and for sharing your experience 🙂
Nicole
Hello!
I tried this vindaloo recipe and we loved it! My husband loves vindaloo and this is the first vindaloo recipe I have made that he loved. I have been working on more indian cooking as we are adopting our daughter from India. My question is about ingredients. I know you said ,traditionally, tomatoes are not used, but my husband loves the vindaloo from the indian restaurant with tomatoes and feels like he misses it with this recipe even though he loves this one. In his head he wants tomatoes. Haha Would it be terrible to add a tomato product (ie. Sauce, fresh tomatoes, etc) thanks for the recipe and the help 🙂
Ps. I am making this again Saturday
Nicole
Paint the Kitchen Red
That is such a great comment, Nicole! If you want to add tomatoes, I would suggest sauteing the onions, add a cup of chopped tomatoes and saute some more until the tomatoes are fried well and the oil starts to separate. And then proceed with the recipe. Adding the tomato may require some extra liquid to prevent sealing issues. Same goes for tomato sauce or paste and those have a higher chance of causing sealing issues so definitely some extra liquid. Good luck! And congratulations on the new addition to your family!
Calbob
We are big fans of Indian food. Wow! The Vindaloo is fantastic.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for the comment!! It’s a great recipe – the key is to get the quantity of liquid just right so it’s not too watery but will come to pressure.
Julie
I love this recipe! The difference that the real spices make is noticeable and the wonderful tang of vinegar is my very favorite taste in your Vindaloo. I’m going to try more of your recipes now – thank you for sharing your gift!
Paint the Kitchen Red
What a great comment to receive on this Thanksgiving day 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe. It’s more special because it’s a family recipe.
Dennis Borges
Glad I found your Instant Pot recipe for pork Vindaloo. It is the Catholic Goans that once fish and veg Hindus, were forcibly convert ed by the 16th century Inquisition. Over the centuries, these Goans transformed and adapted Portuguese non vegan recipes. I am a direct Goan descendant living in Canada for the past 50 years and authentic Goan foods are perfect for Christmas day and our freezing winters. There are thousands of us in Toronto, hoping our Canadian born children and grandchildren will include our food traditions beyond the Christmas season
I wish you to know that your narrative on the history is spot on and the recipe authentic. Maybe I am sensitive on one issue. Goa was a possession of Portugal. They plundered our natural resources like iron ore. If a colony, Goa’s majority today would be people of Portuguese origin, like in Brazil. Canada Australia and the US were British colonies.
I have sent your link to my Goan kindred, as many of them of the older generation were never taught their history. I am approaching 73, a widower and thanks to you, I live to learn that others love our cuisine. Keep up the good work.
Paint the Kitchen Red
It’s really great to hear from a true Goan and I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Yes, colonial history is such a messy one isn’t? Thank you for your kind words, Dennis!
Rex Ribultan
Hi Neenah,
I have a mini and was wondering if your Vindaloo recipe will fit in the 6 quart Instant Pot?
Thank you very much.
Respectfully,
Rex
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Rex – did you mean “fit in the 3 quart”? I don’t own a 3 quart, but the most important thing to remember is that your contents should not go past the 2/3 full mark. I would venture a guess that the quantity of food in the recipe as written would not go past that mark, but can’t say for sure. Sorry!
Victoria Benoit
Wow! That’s the only word to describe the vindaloo story and recipe. I tried and it came out great. This is my first time cooking in instant it and I was very proud of it but the credit goes entirely to you. Thank you. I will look you up on dishes.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Victoria! There are some recipes that are truly special and this is one of them because it comes from my dear mother in law. So your comment was, in turn, special too! The other recipe that’s special to me is my mom’s homestyle chicken curry that I adapted for the Instant Pot, which you might like and you could add some chili powder to make it more spicy. Thank you for your kind words!
Ivan Robichaud
Hi, I have powdered kashmiri chilies. How much do you suggest using ?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Great question, Ivan. I would say that each Kashmiri chili grinds up to about 1 1/4 tsp of powder. So 6 chilies would be 7 1/2 tsp, which is about 2 1/2 Tbsp. Which kinda seems like a lot! I would err on the safe side and add 1 Tbsp when you’re grinding the paste. Then taste and add another Tbsp if you’d like to. Let me know how it goes!
Joe Varghese
Hi Neena .. I made this again today and it was amazing .. also tried Chicken Cafreal and that turned out pretty good. Have you tried making Chicken Cafreal in the Instant Pot? Perhaps give it a shot and give us the perfect recipe (with your mother-in-law’s help of course)
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Joe – awesome! I think I need to work on Chicken Cafreal then 🙂 Will have to ask Grace for some help on that because I’ve actually never cooked it, just eaten it!
Bill
HI,
I just found your site. It is just what I needed to perfect my instantpot cooking.
My cooking is very eclectic I will try just about any style of cooking. I have been
searching for a gumbo recipe to try. I heard it is difficult to make a roux in the pot
your gumbo recipe makes it look easy. I have made lots of gumbos, cajun and creole
recipes that call for a roux no problem. I will try your gumbo, but without the tomatoes.
Cajuns use of tomatoes in gumbos is not looked upon with gusto. Will get back to you
when I prepare this for family and friends.
Bill
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Bill – thanks for your comment. I try to make all my recipes so that you can cook the entire recipe in the Instant Pot. That being said, you might find that cooking the roux in a saucepan is a bit quicker. I hear you about the tomatoes – I know it’s ‘controversial’ but it tastes really good – I suppose mine’s a creole version 🙂 Hope you like it!
Chris
Neena, just finished the vindaloo, great flavors but the sauce is pretty runny. I followed recipe, any ideas?
Thx, Chris
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Chris, I would cook it on Saute to thicken it. Sounds like your spice paste may have been thinner than mine, so the 3/4 cup water may have been too much. It’s a fine line because if you have too little water, the Instant Pot won’t seal. I hope you’ll give it another try.
Chris
I added some cornstarch to thicken, perfect!
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m so glad it worked out for you in the end, Chris.
Barbara Schieving
Looks delicious!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you Barbara!
sandra
Sorry, I left out an important detail in my question!
How do you get the seeds out of the tiny cardamom pods? Just crush them or?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Sandra, great question. You could use powdered cardamom, but it won’t taste as fresh. To remove the seeds, just use the back of a spoon to press down on the pod and break it open and then remove the seeds. Yes, they are tiny!
sandra
I’m really looking forward to trying this one! I love Vindaloo! The background story for the dish was very interesting.
A question for you. How do you get the seeds out of those tiny looking pods?
Joe Varghese
Wow Neena .. what an amazing post .. I’ve been making vindaloo all these years but never thought about the origination of this dish. Thanks for all the info .. I am definitely trying this out and I do have a bottle of “Kaju Feni” that I managed to bring from my last trip to India. I am stoked to try out your recipe. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for posting this!!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Joe – loved your comment! I too have a bottle of Kaju Feni that somehow ended up in my suitcase from India 🙂 I’d love your thoughts on the end result. If you’re used to spice, you might want to try upping the chillies – with 6 it was spicy but very bearable. Enjoy.
Marion Cook
I loved your recipe…and your story. I found your recipe after a Facebook Instant Pot Member mentioned this…and I had to find out what it was.
I will need to go on a shopping adventure to find what I need to make it.
Can’t wait !
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Marion – thanks so much for commenting! I haven’t had a chance to post the recipe to Facebook! I’m going to try and share it today. If you go to an Indian grocery store, you’ll find everything you need. If you’ve never been to one, you can contact me if you have any questions! Prices at Indian stores are much more affordable than regular grocery stores. Let me know how it goes please!