How to cook… Chicken Vindaloo

On May 4, 2020March 11, 2026 By In Recipes16 Comments

Serves 4 as main dish

The Vindaloo is for curry lovers who are after some serious heat. Originally a pork and vinegar dish from the tiny state of Goa, restaurants took the name to represent a super spicy curry. The restaurant-style Vindaloo has heat from the peppercorns and chilli powder, sourness from the vinegar and includes its trademark chunks of potato. You’ll need to make our Base Curry Sauce first to cook this dish.

What you need…
• 1 large potato cut in chunks of 5cm in size (you should have 6-8 of them)
• 2 Tablespoons ghee
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 600ml Base Curry Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tablespoon garam masala
• salt to taste
• 0.5 onion sliced
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar

Spice Mix 1
• 1 Tablespoon mild curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 4 teaspoons chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Spice Mix 2
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 0.5 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns

How to make it…
1. Boil the potato chunks in water and pinch of salt until cooked. While it is boiling mix the Spice Mix 1 with 1 tablespoon vinegar and enough water to form a sloppy paste.
2. Heat the ghee to a high heat. Add the Spice Mix 2 and fry for 10 seconds. The spices should sizzle immediately. You can test the ghee is hot enough by adding one cumin seed.
3. Add the garlic paste and cook for 1 minute on a lower heat. You may have to remove the pan from the heat initially to stop the paste burning. (If it burns throw it away and start again.)
4. Add the Spice Mix 2 and cook for 2 minutes. It should now be thick and gloopy.
5. Add the Base Curry Sauce and tomato ketchup and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken, mix well and cook for five minutes.
6. Add the garam masala, salt and mix well. Cook for 2 more minutes.
7. Add the onion and the tablespoon of vinegar and continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked.
8. Finally, add the cooked potato pieces, mix in well and serve.

**CHEF’S TIP**
You might want to order a cold beer or icy mango lassi to wash down a hot dish like a Vindaloo.

**Chicken Vindaloo**, the hot and sour favourite for heat lovers.

If you like this you should try our…
Prawn Vindaloo • Lamb Vindaloo • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Bhoona
Check out 5 Best Goa Curries
A customer in an Indian restaurant just can’t make up his mind what to order. Eventually the staff are getting impatient.
“Shall I have the Butter Chicken or the Vindaloo,” he asks for the umpteenth time. “And the rice or the naan?”
“Sir,” replies the waiter. “We have many dishes and we can advise you, of course. But the final choice of what you want to eat is en-Thali up to you.”

How to cook… Chicken Madras

On May 4, 2020March 11, 2026 By In Recipes19 Comments

Serves 4 as a main dish

Madras is the go-to choice for heat fans and chicken tops the list. Named after south India’s hot, sweltering city (now called Chennai) a Madras offers a great heat kick without going too crazy. Heat lovers would say it dishes up the perfect balance of spice and heat – just add Base Curry Sauce, some extra spices plus a little onion and tomato.

What you need…
• 2 Tablespoons ghee
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 600ml Base Curry Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tablespoon garam masala
• salt to taste
• 0.5 onion sliced
• 1 tomato, cut into segments
• lemon juice (optional)

Spice Mix 1
• 1 Tablespoon mild curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Spice Mix 2
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 0.5 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 0.5 teaspoon peppercorns

How to make it…
1. Heat the ghee to a high heat. While it is heating up mix the Spice Mix 1 with the vinegar and enough water to form a sloppy paste.
2. Add the Spice Mix 2 to the ghee and fry for 10 seconds. The spices should sizzle immediately. You can test it is hot enough by adding one cumin seed.
3. Add the garlic paste and cook for 1 minute on a lower heat. You may have to remove the pan from the heat initially to stop the paste burning. (If it burns then throw it away and start again.)
4. Add the Spice Mix 1 and stir fry for 2 minutes. The mixture should now be thick and gloopy.
5. Add the Base Curry Sauce and tomato ketchup and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the chicken, mix everything well and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add the garam masala and salt and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.
8. Add the onion and tomato. Continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked.
9. A Madras tastes great with a squeeze of lemon on top just before serving.

**CHEF’S TIP**
The onion and tomato segments should be cooked just enough that they are soft but still intact.

With its great heat kick **Chicken Madras** is one of the most popular curries in Indian restaurants.

If you like this you should try our…
Prawn Vindaloo • Lamb Vindaloo • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Butter Chicken • Chicken Rogan
A man visits his local library and asks for a Chicken Madras. “This is a library,” says the librarian. “Oh, sorry,” whispers the man, “can I have a Chicken Madras.”

How to cook… Base Curry Sauce

On May 3, 2020March 11, 2026 By In Recipes22 Comments

Makes about 600–800ml sauce (enough for 4-6 curries)

The Base Curry Sauce is your key to making most of your favourite restaurant-style curries, including Madras, Vindaloo, Tikka Masala, Dopiaza, Dhansak and Bombay Potato. Restaurant chefs make a huge pot of it every night and when the orders start coming in they turn to the pot and with a few additions – a bit of spice here, some onion, some pepper, a bit more spice there – your favourite curries are created. Think of the Base Curry Sauce, also called Base Curry Gravy or Basic Curry Sauce, as the essential building block to all those delicious curries.

What you need…
• 6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 Tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 Tablespoon ginger paste
• 500g onions, finely chopped (about 2 large onions)
• 200g chopped tomatoes (fresh or tinned)
• 1 small handful chopped coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Water, as required

Spice Mix
• 1 Tablespoon mild curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

How to make it…
1. Heat the oil in a pan to a very high heat. While it is heating up add the vinegar and little water to the Spice Mix to create a sloppy paste.
2. Add the cumin seeds to the vegetable oil and fry for 10–15 seconds. They should sizzle immediately. You can test if the oil is hot enough by adding one seed. If they burn throw the cumin seeds and oil away and start again.
3. Turn down the heat and remove the pan from the ring to allow the oil to cool a bit. Then add the garlic and ginger and fry for two minutes on the lower heat.
4. Add the Spice Mix and stir fry until all the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is thick and gloopy (about 3 minutes).
5. Add the onion, some water and cover the pan. Stir occasionally. Cook until the onion is soft but not caramelised (about 10 minutes).
6. Add the tomato and coriander and stir well. Use a hand blender to mash the mixture into a creamy puree. It should be the consistency of apple sauce.
7. Add the salt and cook for another 10 minutes. Add enough water to keep the sauce the correct consistency.

**CHEF’S TIP**
Rather than making the Base Curry Sauce (or Base Curry Gravy) every time you want a curry, cook up a big batch and freeze it in individual pots. With a pot of Base Curry Sauce at your fingertips your favourite curries can take just minutes to make.

**Base Curry Sauce** is the key to all your favourite Restaurant-Style curries.

If you like this you should try our…
Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Rogan • Chicken Dhansak
The restaurant owner never bought software. He just used open source.

The Royal Curry Club

Tag: curry cooking pot

How to cook… Chicken Vindaloo

How to cook… Chicken Madras

How to cook… Base Curry Sauce

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