Beef Vindaloo Spicy Curry
Beef vindaloo, a classic Indian restaurant-style curry with an atypical meat that works great with the hot and sharp flavours of this recipe.
My version of this Indo-Portuguese recipe is shamelessly Anglo-Indian and features instructions for both the stovetop and Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.
The Hot and Sour Vindaloo Curry
Despite the fact that most British Indian food is influenced by Northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, this dish is from the south, Goa to be precise, just like my chicken xacuti recipe.
Its roots lie in the Portuguese dish carne de vinha d'alhos, which would have been a colonial introduction in the 16-17th century.
In Goa, Pork Vindaloo is relatively common, but beef vindaloo is relatively popular in the Christian communities in Kochi and Kerala.
I love using beef in curries; I think the flavours and structure of the meat are particularly good with Indian spices. I have loads of examples like my beef dopiaza, oxtail curry, methi gosht with beef, Keralan beef curry and beef bhuna, I even have a minced beef and potato curry.
Rather than just using the traditional vinegar, I use a combination of vinegar, tamarind and lemon juice.
Tamarind is the sour element in curries like my chicken pathia and minced pork curry.
It has a complex, sweet and earthy tone as opposed to the comparative simplicity of vinegar that I use in my achari chicken recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of beef should I use?
I typically use one of two cuts of beef for this vindaloo recipe, which is either neck or shin.
Both really do add body to the sauce that other cuts simply do not; this accentuates the smooth mouthfeel of the ghee.
You could use cuts like rump and brisket, or even a pack of "stewing beef"; they all work really well.
Can I use Tamarind concentrate?
Yes, you can, but I personally find that they all vary massively in their intensity. If you are going to use concentrate, use your experience with your chosen brand.
How hot is a vindaloo curry?
I make a vindaloo that sits within the normal parameters of British Indian curries. As a result, this vindaloo is right up there on the scale of heat; you could scale this back if you wish.
Is this best cooked on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker?
This dish cooks equally well in both an Instant Pot and on the stovetop. I have provided instructions for both, although I usually use my Instant Pot.
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to sides for this beef vindaloo curry, I am a pretty simple guy; I favour simply boiled or steamed rice and a flatbread of some description.
My main curry flatbread squeeze is tandoori style naan bread, of course, you could opt for a chapati or roti of some description.
I also think that the sour flavours of this curry work with two other things, the first is potatoes.
As a result, Bombay potatoes or aloo methi make a great side dish if you want something with a little more oomph.
The second thing that is the perfect complement to the hot and sour flavours of this beef vindaloo is a bit of sweetness; a spoonful of mango chutney on the side would be a perfect addition.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I believe that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop or pressure cooker, I use a 5.7L Instant Pot Duo.
- Medium (24cm or 10") saucepan with a lid.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Large plastic bag or Tupperware bowl.
- Mini blender.
Beef Vindaloo Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g Stewing Beef 14oz
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 2 Green Chilli Peppers
- 2 Medium Tomatoes 200g
- 125 ml Water ½ Cup
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
For the Marinade:
- 50 g Tamarind 25mm or 1" cube
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Amchoor
- 1 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 2 tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 8 Cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Minced Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 3 tablespoon White Vinegar
- 12 Cardamom Pods
Instructions
- Cut the beef into 3cm (1¼") cubes.
- Add three tablespoons of boiling water to the tamarind and allow it to soak for 10 minutes, then pass it through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Roughly chop the onion for the marinade.
- Add all of the ingredients for the marinade, with the exception of the cardamom pods, to a blender and blitz to form a paste.
- Add this paste with the cardamom pods to the cubed beef and allow it to marinade for at least 8 hours, although it is better to do it for 24.
- Cut the onion for the curry into 8 wedges.
- Thinly slice the chilli pepper.
- Dice the tomatoes.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Place the Instant Pot in saute mode and when it is hot, add the ghee followed by the onions and cook until they begin to colour.
- Add the beef with the marinade and stir to combine with the onions.
- Throw in the tomatoes, green chilli pepper, and water.
- Seal the lid and cook for 35 minutes on high pressure, then allow the pressure to release for 10 minutes before opening the valve.
- Remove the meat with a slotted spoon, set the Instant Pot to saute mode and reduce the sauce by two-thirds.
- Return the beef, stir and serve.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Heat a medium (24cm or 10") heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat.
- Add the ghee followed by the onion and cook until it starts to colour.
- Add the beef and stir to combine with the onions.
- Throw in the tomatoes, green chilli pepper, and water.
- Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, add a lid and cook gently for 90 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook for a final 30 minutes on a gentle simmer.
Ive just made the marinade and I already can tell this is going to be EPIC!!
Hope you enjoyed it David... this is one of my all time favourites!
Hi this recipe is amazing. Would you please share some recipe for shrimp as well.
Thanks 👍
Hi Nooshin, glad that you enjoyed it, I already have many shrimp curries, although we refer to them as prawns in this neck of the woods. Hit search at the top of my site and type prawn curry and enjoy, but this is my current favourite 🙂
https://www.krumpli.co.uk/king-prawn-bhuna/
Absolutely fantastic vindaloo... Will be keeping this one in my recipe book!
Hi Brian, I would love to make this curry but can’t find tamarind pulp anywhere nearby. Can I use tamarind purée instead, or is that not quite the same? Thank you!
Hi Candace... Yes, you can use any of the variety of tamarind purees or concentrates out there. I would add a word of caution though, they all vary quite considerably in my experience so it is difficult to give you an "amount" to use.
If I were you I would make it in a pot on the stovetop first and cook it slowly so that you can taste what you are adding once you have got the amount right you can add it to your IP roster of recipes 🙂
Enjoy.
I just made this last night and it's one of the best curries I've ever made, both husband and daughter had a great time eating it. Thank you for the recipe!
You are welcome Ida, glad that you and yours enjoyed it 🙂
Hi Brian, this is your best curry dish I’ve cooked to date - so delicious ?. Haven’t tried them all yet though. The mango powder (something I’ve never heard of) worked so well with the spices. I used chilli flakes (1 heaped tsp) instead of the chilli powder. Fantastic!
One thing I’m not sure of is the calories counting. The ingredients apart from the ghee doesn’t seem to add up to 1000 plus calories per person nor does the fat content? Is it correct? Many thanks ?
Hi Stephen, glad you like it! Mango powder is a glorious ingredient that adds a great sour element!
On the calories, I've done some closer digging and the third party calculator that I have plugged into my site says it is correct. It claims that 500g of beef runs to nearly 1500 calories, my fitness pal puts it at half that.
I'm afraid I have no answers, the problem with all of these calory counters is that there are always outliers, this appears to be one of them.
Could you use chicken instead of beef. Love it with beef but need to use some chicken I have in the fridge
Hi Fiona... Yes, you could do this with chicken, I would reduce the cooking time to 12-15 minutes for thighs and 10-12 minutes for chicken breast, put them in whole and then break them down after cooking.
The spicing mat be a little bold though and you will lose the flavour of the chicken, if I were cooking this for chicken I would likely scale back the spicing a little, say a quarter and omit the armchoor. Then move to a slightly less pokey vinegar like apple vinegar to mellow it out a little. Adding some fennel seed to a chicken variant would also be delicious.
Thanks for the great recipe. I’ve used it several times now. Today will be the first with mango powder.
So glad you enjoy it Cathy 🙂
This is s fantastic recipe. I made it for 6 and increased the amounts of all ingredients accordingly, and it was wonderful. Even though I did not have enough time to marinate the beef, it turned out amazing. Rave reviews!
Beautiful photos! This looks and sounds delicious! I don't have an instapot yet! Probably time to invest!
Oh my that marinade sounds absolutely delightful! I'm curious to try that marinade with chickpeas or tempeh for a veggie version! Thanks.
I love eating Vindaloo but have never actually made this. This is inspiring me to make this, your lovely photos are AMAZING!
I absolutely love your photography! This recipe looks and sounds amazing - my kind of meal!
That gravy looks absolutely inviting - my mouth flooded with saliva just reading through the ingredient list! Yumm!
This is s fantastic recipe. I made it for 6 and increased the amounts of all ingredients accordingly, and it was wonderful. Even though I did not have enough time to marinate the beef, it turned out amazing. Rave reviews!
So glad you enjoyed it Helen, it is a recipe that gets rave reviews... Thank you so much for taking the time to drop me a note and tell me 🙂
Thank you Brian. I have just finished up the dish and it is everything I hoped for. I had to sub a couple of things (paprika and cayenne for Kashmiri chili powder and tamarind concentrate for the pulp) but it still came out great. Since I quadrupled the recipe, I used 350ml of water and when it was done in the IP, I reduced it on the stove for about an hour and the consistency was perfect. I will reheat it before my guests arrive, and I am sure they will love it too. Again, thank you for this recipe and thank you for your help. BTW, this is only the third entree I have cooked in the IP, so it is obviously an easy recipe to follow. I am a novice. Gail
You are welcome Gail... Thanks for taking the time to write back to me, I am so glad you enjoyed it, it is music to my ears and why I do this stuff! Useful feedback for me too, I typically cook for 2 or at a push 4 so great to hear how my dishes scale! Have fun with the IP, I use mine a lot although I only have about a dozen recipes here, it tends to be a bit of a workhorse cooking up sides or stocks rather than a meal cooking device for me, however for braises, curries and stews it really is a top piece of kit.
I am making this dish on Friday and I quadrupled the recipe. The beef is already marinating. Do I quadruple the amount of water to the Instant Pot and do I pressure cook for the same time? I can't wait to eat this and serve this to my guests. Thank You!
Hi Gail... I typically only ever cook for two so have not tried such a large recipe but based on what I know of the IP then I would not quadruple the water in the recipe, you want as little as you can get away with in order to get the pot to seal I would personally look at around 350ml-500ml.
It is a wet cooking environment so the meat should not dry out and you will need to reduce the sauce at the end. In your case there will be a lot more liquid so I would budget some extra time to reduce that in the pot after cooking or possibly look at doing it in a pan with a larger flat base on the stove top.
As for timings you should be good, the extra volume will mean that the pot will take longer to come to pressure, but shin is a good old piece of meat and will not be affected by that adversely.
I hope that helps.. Enjoy 🙂
Hi Brian, I'm Indian with a bit of Portugese blood thrown in and this looks absolutely delicious to me! I've made vindaloo befire but your indregients look different..esp with the use of amchoor. Let me try it out and I'll come back to let you know how different the taste is from my traditional recipe.
Haha, no pressure on me there then 😀 I hop you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂
Vindaloo is one of my absolute faaaavorite South Asian dishes and this one look so delicious! Can't wait to try this recipe 🙂
Thanks Kelly, we love this recipe and make it all the time 🙂
Beautiful photos! This looks and sounds delicious! I don't have an instapot yet! Probably time to invest!
Thanks Beth, the same with all these toys alternative cooking techniques are always available, 3-4 hours in a low oven would work wonderfully.
Oh my that marinade sounds absolutely delightful! I'm curious to try that marinade with chickpeas or tempeh for a veggie version! Thanks.
That sounds like an interesting experiment, I have a few vege curries but never done one in the vindaloo direction.
I love eating Vindaloo but have never actually made this. This is inspiring me to make this, your lovely photos are AMAZING!
Thanks Tina, Vindaloo is a great curry.
I absolutely love your photography! This recipe looks and sounds amazing - my kind of meal!
Thanks Elizabeth, it is a real favourite here 🙂
I don’t have Tamarand powder or paste neither does my local supermarket with this recipe still be good without that element ?
The recipe would still taste good, but obviously a little different. Some things to try and substitute with are pomegranate molasses, a lemon or lime marmalade, they will have a similar moisture content and whilst different relatively close flavour profiles, although without the earthiness.
You will need to add to taste though as they are not direct replacements. Have fun 🙂
That gravy looks absolutely inviting - my mouth flooded with saliva just reading through the ingredient list! Yumm!
Thanks Tina, this is real tasty.
Brian your photos are just mesmerizing ~ I can't take my eyes off this dish, ~ vindaloo is my husband's fave and I've never attempted it, so thanks for the inspiration... only problem is I don't have an Instant Pot yet, what is my problem? I've got to get with the program, this is too good to pass up.
Thanks Sue.... Indian food has a great affinity with pressure cooking however it is not essential, it just takes a lot longer to get the tougher cuts tender and to allow the flavours to really develop. I am homebased so slow cooking is quite frankly torture, all those lovely aromas driving me nuts, so a pressure cooker is perfect for me.