How to Make Vindaloo at Home in 4 Easy Steps

This is a healthful, flavorful, aromatic Indian-inspired dish. It's versatile: I added salmon the first time I made it, only because we had some in the fridge that needed to be eaten. Substitute lamb, chicken, beef, or whatever form of protein you prefer. Or, for a vegetarian meal, eliminate the meat and add more veggies.

Here, I will share my simplified salmon (remember, you can substitute any other meat) vindaloo recipe, and then I will give step-by-step instructions for making vegetable vindaloo. Choose whichever one appeals to you. Remember to adjust the amount of spiciness to suit your tastes. I recommend serving this dish over basmati or jasmine rice.

Fish is not traditionally used in vindaloo, and I was a bit worried that it would ruin it. However, we thought all of the spices complimented the salmon well, and the fish in no way overpowered the dish. The texture was nice, too.

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. ginger paste
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 dried red chili peppers
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. garam masala
• 1/2 tsp. vinegar
• Ground pepper, to taste

The first time I made this dish, I used a crockpot. After that, I've used a stockpot on the stove. Neither one works better or worse; the meal comes out fine either way. It's a matter of preference, so use whichever one you're more comfortable with. If you opt for a slow cooker (crockpot), use the low setting, and cook for about 4 or 5 hours.

• Naan (Indian flat-bread) is a nice complement to this dish. We buy it at Walmart. You'll find it in their bakery section, and it is pretty good. Some supermarkets may carry it, but I've never found it at any of our local grocers. If you are near an Asian market, that's another good place to pick up some naan.
• Eastern markets are also good places to buy garam masala, which is a mix of commonly used Indian spices. We were unable to find any locally, so I bought some on amazon.com.
• Substitute cauliflower for the broccoli, if you prefer (or use both). If you would rather replace the cruciferous vegetables with ones that don't take as long to soften up (zucchini, for instance), I suggest not adding them until the vindaloo is almost ready to serve. Otherwise they will be a mushy mess.
• I always prefer using fresh grated ginger, whenever possible, because the flavor is just so much nicer. However, I do not always have it on hand; as a last resort, ground ginger is better than nothing.

• 1 can crushed tomatoes (I used about 14 ounces of the 28 ounce can you see in the photo).
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. ginger paste
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 dried red chili peppers (I used about a tablespoon of Scotch bonnet flakes; we like it to have a real kick to it).
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. garam masala
• 1/2 tsp. vinegar
• Ground pepper, to taste

If your supermarket doesn't have a large selection of ethnic foods, or you don't live near an Eastern market, this spice mix can be difficult to find. I purchase mine on Amazon because I don't like to go hunting around town for it.

• 3 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 sliced zucchini
• 1/2 head of broccoli cut into bite size pieces
• 2 large sweet potatoes cut into bite size pieces
• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Because the yams take longer to cook, it's a good idea to nuke them for a couple of minutes prior to cutting them up. (This also makes them easier to cut).

When the vegetables are the desired consistency, dinner is ready to serve. Hopefully, you remembered to cook your rice during the last half hour of cook time.

I like to prepare basmati or jasmine rice to go with this dish, but plain old brown or white rice will work just fine. If your local supermarket has a bulk section, it's fun to buy different types of rice and try them out.

Remember, if you are using brown rice, it will need to cook longer, so adjust the time accordingly.

Also, if you make rice frequently, I highly recommend investing in a rice cooker. It doesn't get any easier than putting the rice and water into the appliance, turning it on, and forgetting about it until the timer goes off.