Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Goan Vindaloo
Pork marinated in a fiery vinegar-and-Kashmiri-chili paste, then braised sour, hot, and deeply garlicky.
Indian (Goan) · medium · serves 4
prep 30 min · cook 60 min
~724 cal · 63g protein · 12g carbs · 46g fat · 2g fiber · 4g sugars · 13g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Goan vindaloo is one of India's most storied dishes, pork marinated in a fiery paste of vinegar, Kashmiri chilies, garlic, and spices, then slow-cooked until tender and tangy. Its name comes from the Portuguese 'carne de vinha d'alhos' (meat in wine/vinegar and garlic), transformed by Goan cooks with chilies and spice into something entirely their own.
The dish is a vivid emblem of Goa's Indo-Portuguese heritage, the vinegar (a Portuguese introduction) giving it a sharp tang that sets it apart from other curries, while Kashmiri chili lends deep red color and heat. Authentic vindaloo is defined by that balance of sour, spicy, and garlicky, not just fire.
Served with rice or Goan bread, vindaloo is a dish of Goa's Catholic community and a celebration favorite.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, nut- and egg-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
2 lbs pork shoulder, cubed
10 dried Kashmiri chilies
1/3 cup palm or cider vinegar
10 cloves garlic
2-inch piece ginger
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
6 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp peppercorns
2 onions
1 tsp sugar (a small balancing amount)
1/4 cup
for 4 steamed rice or pao bread, to serve
Instructions
1
Soak the chilies in hot water, then grind them with the garlic, ginger, whole spices, and vinegar into a smooth vindaloo paste.
✎ Chef’s note
Vinegar in the spice paste is what defines a vindaloo (from the Portuguese "vinha d'alhos", wine and garlic). It both sharpens the flavour and helps preserve it.
2
Marinate the pork (or jackfruit and potatoes) in the paste for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
3
Fry the onions golden in oil, then add the marinated pork with all its paste and sear.
4
Add water to nearly cover and simmer 45 minutes (20 for the plant version), until the pork is tender and the oil rises red.
5
Balance with the sugar and salt; it should be equal parts fiery and sharp. Serve with rice.
Goan Portuguese-Indian tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Goa. Feni comes in two versions and only one of them is Portuguese. Coconut feni, distilled from palm toddy, is the older spirit; cashew feni followed the cashew tree, carried here from Brazil in the sixteenth century, and it is the one that holds Goa's geographical indication, registered in 2009.
🗺️
India. A grain line runs across the country, rice through the south and east, wheat rotis through the north and west, and the cooking fat shifts with it: coconut oil and curry leaves in the south, mustard oil in the east, ghee and dairy-thickened gravies in the north. Chilli is a relative newcomer to all of them, carried in by Portuguese traders in the sixteenth century.
🌍
Asia. Fermentation is the thread that runs the whole way across: soy sauce and miso, Korean doenjang and kimchi, Southeast Asian fish sauces, the soured batter behind an idli. Chilli is the newcomer among them, arriving only after 1500 with Portuguese and Spanish traders, which makes the heat in Sichuan, Thai and Korean cooking far younger than the fermenting underneath it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from India
Punjabi Chole (Chickpea Masala)Chickpeas simmered dark and tangy with tea-infused water, ginger, and a toasted spice blend.
Kerala Ishtu (Coconut Vegetable Stew)A gentle, fragrant stew of potatoes and vegetables in coconut milk with ginger, green chili, and curry leaves.
Pav BhajiMumbai’s beach-stall classic: a buttery mashed vegetable curry with toasted buns, lime, and raw onion.
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Good to know
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Goan Vindaloo?
Pork marinated in a fiery vinegar-and-Kashmiri-chili paste, then braised sour, hot, and deeply garlicky.
Where does Goan Vindaloo come from?
Goan Vindaloo is a Indian (Goan) dish from Goa, India.
Can Goan Vindaloo be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Goan Vindaloo recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Goan Vindaloo safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Goan Vindaloo take to make?
About 90 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 60 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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