Chicken Vindaloo - Authentic Pressure Cooker Recipe

Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo made in the Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot. Vindaloo is a traditional Goan curry which is made with meat cooked in onions, ginger, garlic, along with lots of aromatic whole spices and the tanginess of vinegar. Enjoy this dairy-free and gluten-free Chicken Vindaloo with rice or naan for a satisfying dinner!

Vindaloo is a popular curry to order at restaurants, similar to Chicken Korma or Chicken Tikka Masala. The most common version of this curry is made with pork, however we will change it up and make Chicken Vindaloo.

Authentic vindaloo curry gets all of this flavor from chicken marinated in the freshly ground whole spices. So don't skip that step when making this delicious curry!

We loved this Chicken Vindaloo. My daughter who is super fussy and does not typically like much spice in her food, devoured this chicken. She just cut it into pieces and enjoyed with a fork. So I am sure you will love this Chicken Vindaloo. Enjoy it with this delicious Mango Lassi.

What is Vindaloo?

Vindaloo (pronounced vin-duh-loo) is an Indian curry dish from the region of Goa. This spicy and tangy curry was introduced to the region by Portuguese sailors.

Vindaloo comes from carne de vinha d'alhos, which literally means "meat in garlic wine marinade". This was "Indianized" by the local Goan cooks with the substitution of vinegar for the red wine, and the addition of dried red chili peppers with additional spices.

Vindaloo has become synonymous with ‘super hot and spicy curry’. However in reality this curry is not the most spicy. Yes, we add lots of spices, however it does not have the heat as some other curries.

Traditionally, Vindaloo is eaten with pav (similar to dinner rolls), however now people around the world enjoy it with naan, rice or any Indian flatbread.

Some Misconceptions about Vindaloo Curry

1. Vindaloo is a very spicy curry - Vindaloo curry gets a lot of this flavor from the whole spices that are blended to make a vindaloo sauce. With these whole spices, dry red chilies are added. However these chilies do not make the curry very hot.
   • I like to add dry Kashmiri red chili's when making Vindaloo sauce. These chilies give a wonderful red color to the curry, but are mild. You can definitely add more or another variety of red chilies to make the curry spicier.
2. Vindaloo has the word "aloo" in it. "Aloo" means potato in Hindi. You will find that many restaurants add potatoes to vindaloo curry. However the traditional recipe for vindaloo does not have any potatoes in it.

How to make Chicken Vindaloo in Pressure Cooker?

Now let's see how to make this delicious vindaloo curry. If you are new to the instant pot (pressure cooker), check out this Instant Pot Quick Setup Guide to get you started.

The main steps are

1. Making the vindaloo curry paste
2. Marinating the chicken
3. Making the curry

Making the Vindaloo Paste

1. Turn on the pressure cooker on sauté mode and add the dry whole spices to the pressure cooker - dry red kashmiri chilies, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, cumin and mustard seeds.
2. Sauté for about a minute until they are fragrant and slightly browned. Make sure they do not burn. Turn off sauté mode.
3. Transfer the whole spices to a grinder.
4. Add ginger, garlic, tamarind paste and vinegar. Vinegar adds a wonderful tangy taste to the curry. I used rice vinegar in this recipe.
5. Grind to make a smooth paste. I added about ¾ cup water when grinding.

Marinating the Chicken with Vindaloo Paste

1. Cube chicken thighs to about 2 inch in size.
2. Add the ground curry paste to the chicken.
3. Mix well and refrigerate for 15 minutes to overnight.

Making the Pressure Cooker Vindaloo Curry

1. Start the pressure cooker in sauté mode and heat oil in it.
2. Add onions and saute for about 4 minutes until they turn golden brown.
3. Then add turmeric and salt.
4. Add the marinated chicken and saute for 3 minutes, while stirring frequently.
5. Mix in any remaining vindaloo paste from the marinade in ¼ cup water, and add to the pressure cooker.
6. Deglaze the pot. Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
7. Pressure cook for 5 minutes, then do a 5 minutes NPR. This means after the pressure cooker beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick release manually.
8. Add brown sugar and stir in the curry.

Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Look at that color! Doesn't it look gorgeous?

My daughter who is super picky, devoured this chicken. She did not even bother to dip the naan in it, she ate the chicken with a fork.

You will love this Vindaloo Chicken Curry as: 

√ It is full of flavor 

√ It is so easy to make in the instant pot

√ Dairy Free & Gluten Free

√ Perfect to enjoy even on weeknights!

Give this Chicken Vindaloo a try and do share how it turns out!