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Vindaloo Curry Paste

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Make a vindaloo easily with this vindaloo curry paste blend.

Many people ask me why cook a curry from scratch when you can use a shop-bought paste such as vindaloo curry paste. The answer is flavour. Those jarred curry pastes you find at the shop taste more of citric acid than they do spices. Use this vindaloo curry paste recipe, however and you will be able to quickly add the spices to your curries and the flavour is out of this world delicious. 

Vindaloo curry paste in a pan after cooking. Ready to use in a curry.

About this vindaloo curry paste recipe.

I make this vindaloo curry paste as an alternative to adding all the different spices and spice blends individually. It is really convenient to have on hand and also easy to prepare. The recipe makes enough for two curries that serve four people.

The oil and vinegar are added to help preserve it. You could leave them out and just use the water and tamarind if using in a day or so.

How is this vindaloo curry paste different to what you can purchase?

Purchase a name brand curry paste and try it. You will see that you can hardly taste the spices. Shop-bought spice blends are also usually flavoured with citric acid and a lot of it which makes them taste very tart.

With this homemade version, you will roast and grind the spices so that their flavour is what you taste.

I promise you… you won’t be disappointed when you add this vindaloo curry paste to a curry.

Who would want to make their own curry paste?

This vindaloo curry paste is for anyone who wants the convenience of adding a ready made paste to make a quick and delicious curry.

Unlike purchasing a jar of curry paste, this is by no means a cheat! Your homemade paste might even give your curries a better flavour because all of the spices are roasted before grinding.

How do you use this vindaloo curry paste?

This paste can be used in a number of ways. Obviously, you can use it to make a vindaloo curry. Try your homemade vindaloo curry paste in this One Pot Vindaloo. All you need to do is add about half a batch of the paste instead of adding the spices that are called for in the curry.

Everything else about the recipe remains the same. You follow the recipe and add the paste when the spices are added.

Do you have to use that much oil?

No. The oil, salt and vinegar are in the recipe to help preserve the spices for longer. So you could use less or no oil if you are using it within a couple of days.

This is very similar but much better than the oily curry paste you find at the shops. 

Will this vindaloo curry paste make a curry that tastes just like your vindaloo curry recipes?

No. I developed this recipe so that it tastes better than anything you can purchase in a jar at the shop.

The spicing is different to the recipes on my blog and cookbooks but you can still use it as a substitute in those recipes. The flavour will be different but it will still taste like an amazing vindaloo curry.

How spicy is this curry paste?

If you have every tried a shop-bought vindaloo curry paste, you might have noticed that it isn’t usually as spicy as the vindaloos you find at curry houses. That is the case with this homemade curry paste too.

If you want a very spicy vindaloo, it’s all about the chilli powder. Add more of it until you are happy with the spice level or even add a hotter chilli powder. Kashmiri chilli powder is commonly used at restaurants but it isn’t what I would call spicy.

Are their any other uses for vindaloo curry paste?

Yes! You can add about 3 tbsp to 125ml (1/2 cup) yoghurt and whisk it all together. This will give you a delicious marinade for meats, fish and vegetables. You could also add about one tablespoon to the same amount of yoghurt to make a quick and easy raita.

How long can you store homemade vindaloo curry paste?

You can keep this paste in an air-tight container in the fridge for at least three months and probably longer with little loss of flavour.

You can also freeze it in convenient sized portions. For your information, the recipe makes enough to make two curries that serve four.

 

Step by step photographs.

The ingredients for the recipe laid out on a countertop.

Get all your ingredients measured out and ready before starting.

Roasting the spices in a pan.

Roast the whole spices over a medium heat until warm to the touch and fragrant but not yet smoking. Transfer to a plate to cool some.

Grinding the whole spices to a powder in a spice grinder.

Grind the roasted whole spices into a fine powder using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar.

Adding the ground spices to the roasted and ground spices.

Stir or blend in the ground spices and salt, if using.

Adding the ground spice blend to a pan over a medium heat with the water and tamarind concentrate.

Add this spice blend to a pan over a medium heat and add 125ml (1/2 cup) water and the tamarind concentrate.

Stir continuously until you have a paste which should only take about 30 seconds.

Adding oil to the frying pan and stirring it well to combine.

Stir in the oil and continue stirring for about a minute until the oil begins to rise to the top. Take off the heat.

Adding the vinegar to the pan.

To finish, stir in the vinegar and allow to cool some.

Vindaloo curry paste in a pan ready to use in a curry.

Transfer this paste to a clean jar with a tight fitting lid and use as required.

If you like this homemade vindaloo paste, you might also like to try some of these popular curry pastes.

  1. Tikka Masala Paste
  2. Kashmiri Curry Paste
  3. Madras Curry Paste
  4. Rogan Josh Curry Paste
Yield: 8

Vindaloo Curry Paste

Vindaloo curry paste in a pan ready to use in a curry.

When you make this vindaloo paste you can use it to quickly and easily prepare a curry house style vindaloo curry. Just add half a batch of this paste to make a curry that serves four. It will keep in your fridge for 3 months or longer with little if any loss of flavour.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 4 tablespoons cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • Seeds from 4 green cardamom pods
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 x 5cm (2 inch) cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1 tsp tamarind concentrate
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) water
  • 70ml (1/4 cup) white wine vinegar
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) rapeseed (canola) oil

Instructions

  1. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Pour the whole spices into the pan and roast until warm to the touch and fragrant but don’t let them smoke.
  2. Remove the spice from the heat to cool on a plate and then place the spices in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and blend to a fine powder. Stir in the paprika, amchoor, ground turmeric, ginger powder and garlic powder.
  3. In a frying pan, mix this powder with about 125ml (1/2 cup) of water and stir into a paste. Pour the oil into the pan and turn your burner on to medium high.
  4. Stir continuously until the spices begin to sizzle a bit and the oil all rises to the top. 30 seconds to a minute should be enough as you have already roasted the spices.
  5. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar and stir it all up nicely. Spoon the spice mixture into a very clean preserve jar with an air-tight lid. This will keep in the fridge for at least three months.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 58Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 359mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g

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