• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Piping Pot Curry logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Instant Pot
    • Air Fryer
    • Indian
    • Cooking 101
  • Resources
    • Amazon Store
    • Indian Spices
    • Instant Pot 101
    • Instant Pot Accessories
    • Meal Plan
    • Holiday Gift Guide
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Instant Pot
  • Resources
  • About
×

Home » Recipes » Chicken, Lamb & Seafood

Chicken Vindaloo - Authentic Pressure Cooker Recipe

Published April 2, 2021 Updated February 8, 2022 By Meeta Arora 86 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

13.7K shares
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
Authentic Chicken Vindaloo served in a bowl along with naan bread

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!

Chicken Vindaloo served in a bowl along with naan bread.

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.

If you are looking for a vegetarian version of this curry, check out my paneer vindaloo recipe.

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.
Dry spices sautéed in the instant pot and then added in a grinder

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.
Chicken marinated with vindaloo spice paste

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.
vindaloo curry with chicken in the Instant pot

Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Chicken Vindaloo in the instant pot ready to be served

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

Chicken Vindaloo shown in a ladle over the instant pot ready to be served

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!

Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
Chicken Vindaloo served in a bowl along with naan bread.

Chicken Vindaloo - Authentic Pressure Cooker Recipe

Meeta Arora
Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo made in the Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot. Enjoy this dairy-free and gluten-free Chicken Vindaloo with rice or naan for a satisfying dinner!
4.73 from 47 votes
Print Save Saved! Pin
Servings: 4
Calories: 351
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free
Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 35 mins

Ingredients
 
 

For Vindaloo Paste

  • 5 Whole Dried Kashmiri Red Chili Pepper
  • 2 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
  • 5 Cloves (Laung)
  • 1 inch Cinnamon (Dalchini)
  • 3 Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
  • ¼ teaspoon Black Peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 1 teaspoon Black Mustard Seeds (Rai)
  • 8 cloves Garlic
  • 1 inch Ginger
  • 2 tablespoon Vinegar I used rice vinegar. White vinegar will work too.
  • 1 tablespoon Tamarind paste
  • ¾ cup Water

For the curry

  • 1 lb Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 4 tablespoon Oil
  • 2 cups Onions diced
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
  • ¼ cup Water
  • Cilantro to garnish

Instructions
 

Making the vindaloo paste

  • Start the instant pot on saute mode and add the dry whole spices – dry red kashmiri chilies, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, cumin and mustard seeds.
  • Sauté for about a minute until they are fragrant and slightly browned. Make sure the spices do not burn. Turn off the instant pot.
  • Transfer the whole spices to a grinder. Add ginger, garlic, tamarind paste and vinegar. 
  • Add ¾ cup water and grind to a smooth paste. 

Marinating the chicken with vindaloo paste

  • In a large bowl, add the chicken pieces. Add the vindaloo paste to the chicken. Mix well and refrigerate for 15 minutes to overnight.

Making the curry

  • Start the pressure cooker in sauté mode and heat oil in it.
  • Add onions and saute for about 4 minutes until they turn golden brown.
  • Add turmeric and salt.Add the marinated chicken and saute for 3 minutes, while stirring frequently.
  • Mix in any remaining vindaloo paste from the marinade in ¼ cup water, and add to the instant pot. Deglaze the pot and make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
  • 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.
  • Add brown sugar and stir in the curry.
  • Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice, naan or roti.

Video

Notes

Pot-in-pot rice: You can make pot-in-pot white basmati rice along with chicken vindaloo in the instant pot. 
Created: This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 27gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 730mgPotassium: 824mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 570IUVitamin C: 90.8mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 2.5mg
Keyword authentic, easy, instant pot, pressure cooker
Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tim says

    February 05, 2022 at 8:09 pm

    A few clarifications please. Are you using bone-in or boneless chicken and skin-on or skinless? Are you sauteeing the dry spices and curry on high? Which grinder are you using, and would a blender work instead? Are you using black or yellow mustard seeds? Might I use Cardamom seeds rather than the whole pods? I guessed on these, and it turned out great - I'm mostly just curious. Incidentally I used 2.5 teaspoons of the Kashmiri chile powder, and it was flavorful but mild - no detectable heat. I might add a touch of cayenne in tomorrow's effort. I also used ghee for the oil. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      February 08, 2022 at 4:49 pm

      Hi Tim - Great questions. I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs. I sautéed on Saute(Normal) setting in the instant pot. I used the Vitamix to make the paste, but you can use any blender to do it. I used black mustard seeds, and the whole pod of the cardamom. Glad that you enjoyed the curry!

      Reply
  2. Shamila says

    January 20, 2022 at 11:47 pm

    Hi, question for you please, I’m making this tonight in a 8qrt IP, should I add more water?

    Many thanks!

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      February 04, 2022 at 9:53 am

      Hi Shamila - Sorry for the late response. You can add upto 1 cup water in the 8qt for this recipe.

      Reply
  3. Mike says

    January 15, 2022 at 2:30 pm

    If you don't have whole kashmir Chili's, can you use kashmir chilli powder? If yes, any thoughts on how much? Thank you,

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      January 18, 2022 at 1:37 pm

      Hi Mike - Sure, you can use Kashmiri chili powder too. I would add about 1 teaspoon. You can also start with lesser and add more to the curry later depending on your preference. Hope you enjoy the vindaloo.

      Reply
  4. Jordan says

    January 13, 2022 at 7:22 am

    I love every single one of your recipes, and this was dinner last night! I'm loving exploring Indian foods and I'm making them myself! So far I've made Butter Chicken, Toor Dal, Palak Paneer, Spiced Potatoes, Egg Curry, Chicken Biryani, Lamb Rogan Josh, Tikka Masala, Tandoori Chicken, Gulab Jamun Cake, and now Chicken Vindaloo!

    It was great (even when I modified with using some as ground spices). I expected this to be spicier -- at least that's the way I remembered vindaloo. Should I have used a different kind of chilli? I used the kashmirilal that I typically do for nice color.

    Thanks for this treasure trove of great food!

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      January 19, 2022 at 4:49 pm

      Hi Jordan - It is wonderful that you have been trying so many indian dishes. There is so much to explore. You can definitely increase the heat in this recipe by adding some additional red chili powder.

      Reply
  5. Lekha Chellani says

    September 16, 2021 at 9:04 am

    If I am using 4 lbs chicken, should I quadruple the whole spices? Will it be ok?

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      October 01, 2021 at 8:55 pm

      Hi Lekha - Yes, I would do everything 4x. But you can try with a little lesser liquid (3x in place of 4x). Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  6. Paul Kelly says

    August 06, 2021 at 6:10 am

    I love the spice mix but there has to be a mistake with the 3/4 cup of water for the paste. Its just watery mush that way for me and I measured everything exactly. It still turns out great but its no more that 1/4 cup that I can see.

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      August 10, 2021 at 4:34 pm

      Hi Pail - Sometimes the chicken releases a lot of liquid. Make sure to sauté the chicken after adding to the pot, that helps to cook off some liquid. Feel free to reduce the amount of water added. I am glad you still enjoyed the curry.

      Reply
  7. Jane Robinson says

    July 06, 2021 at 3:26 am

    Hi - this recipe looks lovely, but I don't own a pressure cooker or instant pot. Could I cook this in a pan on the hob, or in the oven?

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      July 07, 2021 at 4:08 pm

      Hi Jane - You can surely make this recipe in a pan. Follow the same steps. In place of pressure cooking, cook the chicken in a pan covered for about 10 minutes, then cook uncovered about 7-10 minutes until it is cooked through. Hope you enjoy the curry!

      Reply
  8. Nadia says

    June 19, 2021 at 8:04 pm

    Question for you - is tamarind concentrate the same as tamarind paste? Is it ok if I substitute tamarind paste for concentrate on this recipe?

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      July 07, 2021 at 2:37 pm

      Hi Nadia - I believe concentrate is same as the paste (pulp with seeds removed). Hope you enjoy the vindaloo curry!

      Reply
  9. Stephanie says

    April 25, 2021 at 7:06 pm

    How long would I cook pieces of lamb for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      April 30, 2021 at 10:27 am

      Hi Stephanie - I would say 20 minutes on high pressure would work well for lamb in this curry. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  10. Janet says

    April 06, 2021 at 3:01 am

    Long ago, just as I was discovering veganism, I enjoyed a vindaloo dish in an Indian restaurant. I was so enthralled with the richness and depth of the spices that, to this day, I have no recollection of what the chef substituted for the chicken! Can you help me out? I really want to make this dish

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      April 08, 2021 at 4:09 pm

      Hi Janet - I would think mixed veggies or chickpeas could work well in this recipe. You can also try tofu for a vegan version. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
      • John says

        September 15, 2021 at 10:41 pm

        Potatoes?

      • Meeta Arora says

        October 01, 2021 at 8:48 pm

        Absolutely, potatoes could work well too.

    • Bobby says

      May 30, 2021 at 5:55 pm

      I've had amazing mushroom vindaloo

      Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meeta Arora of Piping Pot Curry

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. Here you will find easy & delicious recipes using Instant Pot & Air Fryer.

More about me →

AS FEATURED ON

Piping Pot Curry Featured on websites

Popular

  • Instant Pot Wild Rice Blend
  • 10+ Easy Indian Soup Recipes
  • How To Thicken Curry?
  • Indian Chicken Marinade (Easy and Authentic)

Footer

AS FEATURED ON
Piping pot curry Featured on sites

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Meeta
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Recipes

  • Instant Pot 101
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Subscribe for recipes

Resources

  • Shop
  • Gift Guide
  • How to start a blog?

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2022 Piping Pot Curry