Vindaloo Recipe – Authentic Goan Pork Curry
Win-daloo
What makes this Goan Vindaloo recipe authentic?
Goan vindaloo is a flavourful curry rooted in Goa’s Portuguese heritage, evolving from the dish “carne de vinha d’alhos,” which means meat marinated in wine and garlic. In Goa, the wine was replaced with palm vinegar, and local spices like chilli, cumin, and cloves were added, creating a tangy, spiced pork curry that’s rich in garlic and vinegar notes.
Unlike the British curry house version, which is often ultra-spicy, authentic Goan vindaloo focuses on balanced heat and depth of flavour.
You’ll love it if…
…you crave bold, tangy curries with a perfect punch of garlic, vinegar, and spice.
Sugar, spice and everything nice (including pork)
Pork has an uncanny ability to get along with some unusual flavours. Pork and apple sausages. Orange glazed ham. Ham and pineapple on pizza (I’m nothing if not controversial). We know it gets on well with sweet, spicy and sour.
How about all three flavours together in one dish? In this authentic Vindaloo recipe from Goa, pork makes friends with vinegar, spice and sugar. Sweet, sour, spicy, salty – the rich dark curry sauce hits all the flavour notes hard (except bitter… we hate bitter) and the pork is so tender it melts on the tongue. Just good-guy pork getting along great with everybody (except bitter).
Gather the Ingredients
and Marinate the Pork
Toast the dry spices in a pan until lightly browned, let them cool, then grind to a powder. Blend the wet spice mix into a smooth puree. Massage both into the pork shoulder or butt, cover, and marinate in the fridge overnight or ideally for 24 hours.
Sauté Aromatics and Start Cooking
Bring the marinated pork to room temperature.
In a hot pan with mustard oil, splutter mustard seeds, then sauté sliced onions with a pinch of salt until golden. Stir in chilli powder and turmeric, then add the pork and mix well for several minutes.
Simmer and Develop Flavour
Cover and cook on low heat. Stir in stock in two stages, letting it simmer covered between additions. Once the curry has thickened, add chopped curry leaves, cover and cook a little longer. Finish uncovered until the gravy is rich and the pork is tender.
Final Touches and Serving
Serve hot with plain rice.
This deeply spiced, tangy and savoury vindaloo is best enjoyed warm. It will taste even better the next day.
- Use fatty pork like shoulder or belly – You need a cut with fat so it stays juicy and flavourful after all that slow cooking.
- Marinate it overnight – The vinegar and spices need time to soak deep into the pork. Don’t rush it.
- Toast your whole spices – A quick toast brings out way more depth in the flavour before you grind them.
- Cook Low and Slow – Really great vindaloo takes time. Don’t rush it.
- Let it rest after cooking – Pork vindaloo always tastes better the next day. Make it ahead if you can
Vindaloo – Authentic Goan Pork Curry
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a dry pan on medium heat, toast all the dry spice mix ingredients together for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until light brown. Put aside and let cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Once cool, grind into a powder.
- In a mixer, grind all the wet spice mix ingredients together into a puree.
- Thoroughly massage the dry and wet mix into 1 kilo pork pieces. Cover and put in the fridge. Let it marinate overnight or ideally for 24 hours.
- Once the pork has marinated sufficiently, take it out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking.
- In a hot pan on medium heat add 3 tablespoons mustard oil (or any vegetable oil). Add 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds, once they start to splutter add 2 cups finely sliced onions.
- Saute the onions for around 5 minutes until translucent. Add a pinch of salt and sautée for a further 5 minutes until lightly browned.
- Add 2 tablespoons kashmiri red chilli powder (Or 2 tablespoons sweet paprika powder) and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Saute for another 5 minutes.
- Add the marinated pork (this should be at room temperature) and mix well for at least 5 minutes.
- Cover with a lid and let it cook for 15 minutes on low heat.
- After 15 minutes, add 1 cup of pork or beef stock and mix thoroughly. Put the lid back on and let it cook for another 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes mix again. Add the additional 1 cup of stock and mix through well. Cover and let it cook for 30 minutes, stirring at the 15 minute mark.
- After 30 minutes, or once the gravy has sufficiently thickened and reduced add 10 chopped curry leaves. Mix well, replace the lid and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Take off the lid and stir well. Cook with lid off until it reaches a thick curry consistency and the pork is tender.
- Serve with plain rice.
Video
FAQ
Pork shoulder or belly is ideal, they have enough fat to keep the meat juicy and flavourful during slow cooking.
Overnight, but ideally for a full 24 hours in the fridge. This allows the vinegar and spices to deeply flavour the meat.
Absolutely. Use fewer dried red chilies or remove their seeds to reduce heat. You can always add more spice later if you want it hotter.
Yes, toasting whole spices before grinding releases their oils and intensifies their flavours, making the dish more aromatic.
Let the vindaloo cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavours often deepen over time.
Steamed rice is traditional, but it also pairs well with crusty bread or naan to soak up the rich, tangy sauce.
was waiting for this!
Yay! Try it out and let us know what you think 🙂