Nothing beats a nice curry if you ask me. I remember the first time when I read a recipe of the Vindaloo curry, thinking “wow, that’s strange!” It packs an interesting punch in the form of vinegar, which was introduced to India when Portugal used to have colonies in the land of spices. The Portugese seem to love their vinegar and they used it to remind them of home and as a natural way to preserve goods in a time long before anything like a refridgerator. I am glad about this fusion, as it makes for a delicious curry you definately should give a try!
I love the spices that are used for this curry. Cinnamon, star anis and cloves are somewhat Christmas-y, but the other spices turn it around, back to India, back to big flavour and bold spicyness. Don’t be afraid to use a lot of spices here, the long cooking time let them blend together beautifully. Just be careful with the cloves, they can become quite overwhelming.
You can use other meats as well here. I once made a version of this with duck thighs, which was wonderful. The slightly sour curry alleviates some of the fattyness of the duck, making the dish somewhat “lighter”. For the same reason pork and lamb should be a perfect match too.
As a side dish rice is obviously a natural choice as long as you have the calories to spare. I also like to pair my curries with a simple salad. A refreshing flavour to clean the palate between bites, that is low in calories. Papadum are a great way to get even more Indian vibes involved and you can buy versions of them that are not fried in oil. They are easy to prepare: pop them (only one each time) for a few seconds in the microwave or roast them under the grill in the oven until they start “bubbling up”. Crispy and quite macro friendly!
Ingredients
- 2,8kg Stewing beef
- 650g Onions
- 100g Stem ginger
- 85g Garlic
- 55g Cooking fat, preferably ghee
- 680g Passata
- 600ml Water
- A good splash of vinegar. I think red wine vinegar is the proper choice given the Portugese ancestry of this dish, but feel free to experiment.
- Spices: chili to taste, 3 tsp cumin seeds, 10 cloves, a large cinnamon stick, 1 tbsp pepper corns, one star anis, a handful of curry leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C. Peel and finely slice the onions, garlic and ginger. Heat the cooking fat in a large stock pot and sautee the onions, garlic, ginger and whole spices like curry leaves and cinnamon sticks over medium heat until golden.
- Meanwhile cut the stewing beef into bite sized chunks. As soon as the onions are ready, add the beef, passata and water. Stir, cover, bring to a gentle boil and transfer to the oven.
- Gently cook in the oven until completely tender, about 3-4 hours. Add the vinegar, taste and season to perfection. Easy peasy!
Macros
100g of beef curry vindaloo have the following macros:
- 109kcal
- 12,7g Protein
- 1,8g Carbs
- 5,5g Fat
As you can see, this is a really easy recipe that only needs a nice, little side dish, and full of protein. Give it a try for your next meal prep session and let me know down in the comments how you liked it!
Beary Strong 