Goan Vindalho

The Vindalho conjures up memories of Goan life, Holidays at the beach and an instant exotic feeling. This is one Goan dish that essentially sums up the fusion nature of Goan Food. Its also the most romaticised recipe to indicate Portuguese Influence on Goan cooking. However its also a dish that has been awfully dishonored in Britain; knowingly or unknowingly. What is served in many British Indian Restaurant is nowhere close to what this dish is all about.

I have read that this dish has been distorted by British Indian Cooks serving the British people a dish called Vindaloo, a corruption of the name Vindalho. Many cooks think this dish is cooked with potatoes, this can be explained in a simple manner, most Indians outside Goa know potatoes as Aloo. In Goa however, Potatoes are called botat. Since the Vindalho sounds a bit like Aloo at the end and hence most Indians outside Goa relate it as a potato dish when its not and this is also the reason for the name corruption. This has led now to accept both names as valid names for the original name Vindalho. The Vindalho was introduced to the British by Goan cooks that worked in Bombay and other British controlled cities during its long colonial rule in India. By the Time British arrived in India (1800's), Goan people were already Europeanised by Portuguese Christian missionaries and had no religion affiliated restrictions to eating Pork or Beef like most other Indians at the time and hence they chose to employ Goan cooks. As the dish was carried with the Britisher to other places within the Indian sub continent, the name and the dish has been corrupted over time.
Vindaloo is come to be known in UK as the most spiciest of Curries. Its a favorite among young British men wanting to show off their bravado, by proving they can handle the spiciest curry. Vindalho, howerver is anything but the spiciest curry. It is in fact a dish that balances the 3 different taste; Sweet, Sour and Spice. Its a dish that evolved in Goa under the Portuguese Influences since 1510 AD. 

Vindalho originates from the Portuguese way of cooking meat (Carne) in Wine (Vinho) and Garlic (Alho) and has traveled far and wide during the Portuguese Spice voyages in the Far east and Brazil.
At the time when Portuguese landed in Goa (India), there was no wine making culture, the Ingenious cooks at the time substituted Vine with Vinegar made in Goa out of Coconut sap called Toddy, in order to make their food taste a little like home for the early Portuguese sailors and Christian Missionaries from Spain and Portugal.

This mixed with Goan traditions of using other spices like black pepper, Cinnamon gives this dish its unique taste and has evolved over time into this delectable dish. Also the red chilies used are mostly mild chilies, which are known for their fiery red colour but without the pungent heat. Its traditionally made with Pork and the combination is heavenly with vinegar going really well with Pork Flavors. You can also cook this dish with Chicken for equally good experience however my recommendation is to try with Pork. Also the fact the Vindalho to Goans Instantly means the dish is cooked with Pork. Vindalho evolved from a Portuguese tradition of cooking with Wine and Garlic as stated earlier and one such dish that uses this method is Carne de Porco de Alentejana.

I already have a cheats version of Vindalho for those hard pressed for time and want a quick fix recipe, on my Blog but will bring out a recipe soon on the Original.

Recheado Masala

The King of Goan Spice Mixes.......

Have you had Goan food before, if yes, I'm sure you would instantly think of the spicy, tangy and  sweetness perfectly balanced. There's one thing that gives a distinctive taste to Goan food and sets apart this cuisine from the rest of the Indian subcontinent, that's the Recheado Spice Mix.

To make the Masala: You will need the following ingredients

50 Kashmiri Chilies
6-8 Garlic Cloves
4-5 Cloves
2 tsp turmeric powder

2 sticks of Cinnamon 

1 tsp Jeera
1 tsp Mustard
1 tsp Black Pepper
A Small Ball of Tamarind (Tiny enough to pass through you index finger and Thumb when you make a circle)
5 Inch Piece of Ginger
2 tsp brown sugar 1 Onion (caramelized by frying in a pan)

Mix all of these ingredients in a mixer jar (Spice Grinder) and grind it to a fine paste by adding 4 tbsp. of Coconut Vinegar. If you don't have goan vinegar, a good substitute will be balsamic vinegar. You can store this mixture in a jar for several weeks in the Fridge.

The Recheado Masala is the King of Goan Spice treasure trove. The word Recheado itself means stuffed in Portuguese Language possibly indicating this masala started life as something made for stuffing or filling (Recheio) like stuffed squid or Mackerel but now is universally used for everything under the sun as its so addictive once you have it. This is the Goan version of Massa De Pimentao, a Portuguese spice mix made with red Bell Peppers. This could well have been the evolution to the Goan Spice mix, you never know. It was long time ago that this Recheado mix was developed, possibly the early 1500's during the early days of Portuguese Sailors and missionaries living in Goa and wanting a taste of Portugal in Goa. 

However, you master this Goan spice mix, then you have opened up yourself to the most delectable of Goan dishes. The most famous of Goan dishes end up using this spice mix in some form or the other. Here's a handful of dishes I can list

1. Recheado stuffed Mackerel
2. Sorpatel
3. Pork Vindalho
4. Stuffed Squid
5. Racheado Fry (Squids, Prawns, Fish)
6. Chouriso
7. Balchao
8. Fish Mole
9. Recheado Grill (Fish, Chicken, Pork)