Chicken Vindaloo Restaurant Style

 

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 dried kashmiri chilies
• 2 tsp Indian restaurant spice mix 
• 2 tsp kasoor methi - dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 times 1/3 cup vindaloo paste
• 2 tbsp tomato paste diluted in 4 tbsp water
• 850gr curry base
• 4 tsp tamarind paste
• 650gr chicken pre-cooked

Instructions

• Combine the Indian restaurant spice mix, kasoor methi and salt in a small bowl. Preheat your curry base. Dilute the tomato paste.
• Heat your frying pan (don't use non-stick) briefly over medium heat. Add the oil. It's ready when the oil starts to shimmer.
• Add the Kashmiri chilies and cook for about 10 seconds. Flip them and cook another 10 seconds.
• Turn down the heat and add the spice mix, kasoor methi and salt. This is the critical step. Stir it constantly for 30 seconds. If it starts to darken lift the pan off the heat. You want the spice mix to cook in the oil but not burn.
• Add the vindaloo paste. Fry, stirring constantly, until it starts to darken. This should take about 2 minutes.
• Turn the heat up to medium high. This is important. The heat is what caramelizes the onion base. It gives curry it's Indian restaurant flavour. Add the diluted tomato paste and stir until bubbles form. This takes around 30 seconds to one minute depending on the heat.
• Add 3 oz of curry base. Stir until bubbles form (little craters really), around 30 seconds. It's like a lively boil. Watch the video to see what I mean...
• Now add 6 oz of curry base and stir briefly. Let it cook until the bubbles form again. Let it cook about 2 minutes.
• Add the rest of the curry base and let cook until the bubbles form. Stir in the tamarind paste. Turn the heat down to low and add the pre-cooked chicken. 
• Let the curry simmer for about 5 minutes. If it gets too thick add a bit more curry base. Do not add water.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or Indian flat bread.