Goan pork vindaloo with potatoes

A classic from my Ultimate Curry Bible, this dish is such as favourite with the British that I have to include it here. You could think of this recipe as "vindaloo light". It has the garlic, vinegar, black pepper and chillies - in this case chilli powder - that a vindaloo requires, but in gentle quantities. Serve with plain rice.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1:10 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

You could also choose to make this in a pressure cooker. To do so, follow the general recipe, but add just 120 ml of water, bring to full pressure, then reduce the heat to very low and cook for 17-20 minutes (20 minutes will give very tender meat).

Ingredients

• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 3 cloves
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2½ cm (1 inch) root ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• ¾–1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• salt, to taste
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 560 g (1lb 4 oz) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2½ cm (1 inch) chunks
• 3 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
• 340 g (scant 12 oz) waxy red potatoes, peeled and cut the same size as the pork
• ½ tsp caster sugar

Marinating time 30 minutes

Instructions

Put half the mustard seeds and all the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and cloves in a clean coffee grinder or spice grinder and grind as finely as possible.

Tip this spice mixture into a blender with the onion, garlic, ginger, vinegar, chilli powder, paprika and 3 tbsp of water. Blend until smooth.

Rub 1¼ tsp of salt, all the turmeric, black pepper and 2 tbsp of the spice paste all over the pork. Put in a plastic food bag, seal and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or longer if desired.

Pour the oil into a large, heavy-based, non-stick, lidded pan and set it over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the remaining mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, which will be in a matter of seconds, put in the remaining spice paste. Stir and fry for 5-6 minutes, or until the paste is lightly browned. Put in the pork with its marinade and stir for a minute. Cover and reduce the heat to medium. Let the meat cook for about 10 minutes, lifting the lid now and then to stir; it should become lightly browned.

Now pour in 750 ml of water and add the potatoes, ½  tsp of salt and the sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook very gently for 50–60 minutes or until the meat is tender, then serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

You could also choose to make this in a pressure cooker. To do so, follow the general recipe, but add just 120 ml of water, bring to full pressure, then reduce the heat to very low and cook for 17-20 minutes (20 minutes will give very tender meat).