Indian food and I share an amar prem. That's Hindi for hunka hunka burning love. When I decided to start eating meat again, and discovered that it didn't make my digestive system explode, almost the first thing I did was trot down to the local Indian lunch buffet to sample all those mysterious dishes I'd been bypassing.
Tandoori chicken! Goat curry! The classic tikka masala! But alas, they weren't serving the dish I was most curious about - vindaloo. Famous for its spice levels, vindaloo sounded irresistible to my chile-loving palate.
But according to Rhagavan Iyer in 660 Curries, vindaloo need not be mouth-meltingly hot. He says its most essential characteristic is vinegar, not chiles. Bit of trivia: authentic vindaloo is made with palm vinegar, an ingredient that's difficult to find outside of Goa, let alone outside of India. Iyer recommends malt or cider vinegar.
Iyer must be a vindaloo fan, because 660 Curries has several recipes for vindaloo, including this non-traditional one that includes coconut milk. The combination of rich, cooling coconut and hot, assertive chiles makes a sublime synthesis. Even though I was out of fresh cilantro, this dish was a winner. The pungent aroma, complex background of flavors, and sneak-up-on-you chile heat were perfect.
quarter cup cider vinegar
1 T chopped fresh ginger
1 t cumin seeds
6 large cloves garlic
1 red onion - half rough chop, half finely chopped
2 dried red chiles
2 fresh green chiles
1 t salt
quarter t turmeric
2 T oil for frying
one pound bonelss pork loin, cut into strips 1 inch wide and quarter inch thick
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 T minced fresh cilantro for garnish
In a blender, make a paste of the vinegar, ginger, garlic, coarsely chopped onion, and chiles. Doesn't it smell amazing? Stir in the salt and turmeric.
Saute the finely chopped onion for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Stir in the paste and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. You want the vinegar to evaporate and the paste to get fairly dry.
Add pork to the pan and cook until seared, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk, give a good stir, and cover. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer for ten minutes. That's it!
One note: I don't know if it was something about the pork, my temperatures, or me still adjusting to eating meat, but I thought the pork could have been more tender. Next time I'll let it simmer for 15 or 20 minutes.
I served this with a quick salad of tomatoes and avocados, which reminded me that rich creaminess of avocados also blends well with chiles and got me thinking about my next meal.
What's that, dear? Oh, don't be like that, Indian food. I'll always come back to you.
