Dinner
Pork Vindaloo with Tamarind and Chiles
A blended paste coats the pork before it goes into the pot. Vinegar brings the sharp edge, while shoulder and belly soften together during a slow covered simmer.
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Cuisine
- Goan-inspired
Bring it to the table
Blend a fine paste
Break the cinnamon into small pieces before blending. A smooth paste distributes the spices throughout the sauce.
At the table
Serve with rice to catch the chile-vinegar sauce.
Before you start
Gather your ingredients.
Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.
See the ingredient checklist
- 15 dried Kashmiri chiles — or use 12 dried guajillo chiles for the base batch; stems removed
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 piece fresh ginger — 1 inch long; peeled
- 1 piece cinnamon stick — 3 inches long; broken into small pieces
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste — optional
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp whole cloves
- 1 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt — or use 1 3/4 tsp Morton for the base batch
- 1 1/2 lb pork shoulder — 1-inch cubes
- 8 oz skin-on pork belly — 1-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion — quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 1/2 cups water — plus up to 1/2 cup more if needed for the base batch
- cooked rice — to serve
A few useful notes.
The base batch serves about 4–6; the serving control starts at 4.
The guajillo alternative uses 12 chiles in place of 15 Kashmiri chiles for the base batch.
The cooking plan
How to make Pork Vindaloo with Tamarind and Chiles.
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Blend the chiles, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, vinegar, sugar, optional tamarind, peppercorns, cumin, turmeric, cloves and salt into a fine paste.
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Coat both cuts of pork with the paste. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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Warm the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
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Add the pork with all its marinade and the measured water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook for 1 1/2–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender. Add a little water if the sauce becomes dry before the pork softens.
-
Taste the sauce and serve the stew over rice.
Let’s cook
The full recipe.
Check off ingredients as you get them ready.
Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.
Pork Vindaloo with Tamarind and Chiles
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Ingredients
- 15 dried Kashmiri chiles or use 12 dried guajillo chiles for the base batch; stems removed
8 cloves garlic- 1 piece fresh ginger 1 inch long; peeled
- 1 piece cinnamon stick 3 inches long; broken into small pieces
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste optional
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp whole cloves
- 1 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt or use 1 3/4 tsp Morton for the base batch
- 1 ½ lb pork shoulder 1-inch cubes
- 8 oz skin-on pork belly 1-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium Onions quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 ½ cups water plus up to 1/2 cup more if needed for the base batch
- cooked rice to serve
Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.
Instructions
- Blend the chiles, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, vinegar, sugar, optional tamarind, peppercorns, cumin, turmeric, cloves and salt into a fine paste.
- Coat both cuts of pork with the paste. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Warm the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
- Add the pork with all its marinade and the measured water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook for 1 1/2–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender. Add a little water if the sauce becomes dry before the pork softens.
- Taste the sauce and serve the stew over rice.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!A couple of useful answers.
Is the tamarind required?
No. The vinegar supplies acidity even when the optional tamarind is omitted.
Why use two pork cuts?
Shoulder provides the main pieces of meat, while belly adds richness during the long simmer.
Keep the good food going
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