Instant Pot Vindaloo is a spicy, tangy Indian curry from the state of Goa in India. This is an authentic Goan Indian family recipe that comes from my mother-in-law and was adapted for the Instant Pot.
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: 15 minutes, Chicken: 4 minutes, Lamb: 20 minutes.
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 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 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.