Vindaloo Masala

A vindaloo recipe is a combination of Portuguese, Goan and South Indian ingredients and cooking methods. It was born in Goa, sometime in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, after the Portuguese set up a colony there. The word "vindaloo" comes from the Portuguese "carne de vinho e alhos" (meat cooked in wine vinegar and garlic), and has nothing to do with "aloo" (potatoes), as many believe!

Yes. Besides pork, fatty cuts of beef, mutton or lamb work well for vindaloo. Among poultry, duck is a great choice. If you want to make chicken vindaloo, use skin-on chicken. The main thing to keep in mind is that whatever your choice of meat, it has to have a good amount of fat.

Slow-cooking the meat in the spices allows enough time for the collagen in the meat to convert to gelatin. That is what makes a luscious sauce that coats the mouth while eating.

Yes! We like to do this in a heavy oven-safe pot with a lid, like a dutch oven. Just fry the marinated meat for a few minutes on high heat. Then transfer the pot to a 150°C oven. Keep the lid slightly ajar. It should take around 2 hours for the meat to become tender.

Yes, you can braise the meat well and finish cooking it in a pressure cooker. The sauce will be thinner than what you'd get by slow-cooking the meat though.

This is a spicy dish, yes. In our recipe, the chilli component comes in two parts: dried red chillies in the vindaloo masala (the dry spice mix), and fresh red chillies in spice paste. To reduce the heat, you could use half the quantity of the dry vindaloo masala, and eliminate the fresh red chillies entirely from the wet paste.

We are working towards bringing the spices to as many viewers as we can. But we want to expand sensibly and sustainably (we are a two-person team!), maintaining quality, freshness and integrity. Meanwhile, you can easily make all our spices for yourself at home. The recipes are all up on our YouTube channel.

Store the spices in an airtight jar, away from direct sunlight or humid environments. Refasten the lid/seal after use. To maintain freshness longer, avoid scooping the spices with a wet spoon or damp fingers. If making them at home, grind in small batches that can be used up within 2–3 months, and don't forget to label your containers with the date of preparation!

All our spice mixes come with a fleet of recipes that you can use them in, but there is also room for experimentation. To use our spice mixes in your own recipes, start by adding a small amount to your dish and adjust according to your taste. They can be used in marinades, rubs, or added to the pan directly when cooking.

Well, it ranges from ¼ tsp (in case of gorom moshla) to as much as 4 tbsp (in case of nihari)! Please see the usage instructions on our website. If following one of our recipes, it should clearly specify the amount. But when in doubt, err on the side of caution; add a little at first, and adjust as you go. Your mileage with respect to heat level may also vary.

All the spices mixes themselves are fully plant-based. With the exception of the vindaloo and nihari moshlas, all other spices mixes can be used in, or adapted for, vegetarian dishes. Gorom moshla is great for vegetable gravies; bhaja mosha for chaats and raitas; kochuri torkari moshla for curried potatoes and shingara; and vegetable chop moshla for, well, vegetable chops. Our tandoori moshla can be used with paneer, tofu, capsicum, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. Biryani moshla can be used in a beautiful khushka.