Excellent Chicken Vindaloo Recipe

How to Make Excellent Chicken Vindaloo

1. Wash 6 chicken thighs thoroughly.
2. Remove the skin and excess fat from the chicken thighs and place them in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 4 whole cloves, 6 cardamom seeds, and 2 dried red chilies over medium heat. Stir-fry until lightly browned (about 2-3 minutes).
4. Transfer the toasted spices to a spice grinder.
5. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon cayenne powder (adjust to taste), 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder to the spice grinder.
6. Grind all spices into a fine powder.
7. Add the powdered spices to the bowl with the chicken thighs and stir to coat thoroughly. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (longer is better).
8. In the same frying pan, heat 4 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add 2 large onions, sliced.
9. Stir-fry the onions until very brown and caramelized (about 15-20 minutes).
10. Transfer the caramelized onions to a food processor or blender.
11. Add 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 4 cloves garlic (minced), and 1 inch ginger (grated) to the food processor.
12. Puree until smooth.
13. Stir the onion puree into the marinated chicken.
14. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the frying pan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds.
15. Heat until the mustard seeds start popping (about 30 seconds).
16. Add 10 curry leaves and stir quickly.
17. Add the chicken mixture to the pan.
18. Add at least 1 cup of water (more if needed).
19. Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for at least 45 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender, adding a little water as needed. Turn the chicken over every 10 minutes.
20. When the chicken is almost done, increase the heat to high and let most of the liquid evaporate until you have a thick sauce.
21. Check for salt and adjust to taste.
22. For an even more refined dish: Once cool enough to handle, remove the chicken, discard the bones, cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, and return it to the pan with the sauce. Reheat gently.
23. Serve hot with plain boiled rice, a yogurt raita, and a side vegetable.
24. Optional: Add 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed, during the last 20 minutes of cooking (reduce chicken to 5 thighs if adding potatoes).