# Vindaloo **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920 "2011-03-25T02:50:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/1 "2011-03-25T02:50:59Z")
When I have vindaloo, it’s usually lamb. If there’s a buffet and all they have is chicken vindaloo, I’ll have that. I have a jar of Patek’s vindaloo curry paste, and it has a recipe for shrimp vindaloo on it. Hm. Never tried shrimp vindaloo. What kind of vindaloo do you like? (And don’t say ‘Kippers Vindaloo’! 😛 ) ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/2 "2011-03-25T02:56:11Z")
I really don’t like lamb, so I always get it with chicken. And I like it _hot!_ ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/3 "2011-03-25T04:30:44Z")
I like pork, but I’m a traditionalist. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/4 "2011-03-25T13:50:43Z")
Lamb or goat make for a fine vindaloo. Sometimes I have to add more peppers to make it hot enough, though. It’s lovely with fresh ginger naan. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/5 "2011-03-25T13:54:30Z")
Too spicy by far. My one experience with vindaloo was at a fancy New Yawk City Indian restaurant, and my boyfriend at the time ordered chicken vindaloo. He was sweating bullets and his face got SO RED. He loved spicy stuff, but that’s not an experience I’d ever want to put myself through. He couldn’t taste anything for the next 2 days! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/6 "2011-03-25T13:59:24Z")
Shrimp Vindaloo is great, but I never get to order it because my wife loves shrimp but can’t handle Vindaloo so we get shrimp with another sauce. Lamb Vindaloo is Good Food™. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/7 "2011-03-25T14:02:41Z")
I’ve had lamb and chicken and liked both equally. The hotter the better. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/8 "2011-03-25T14:31:12Z")
I like to use vindaloo paste too. I’ll mix it with mashed potatos or if I want to jazz up some canned green beans or frozen spinach. But I also like to do the full-on chicken and/or shrimp vindaloo. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/9 "2011-03-25T18:33:28Z")
I use the Patek’s too at home with either leftover chicken or lamb depending upon what’s on hand. Goes great with naan I’m gonna freak a bunch of you out, but I love to put peas in mine - just dump in a bunch of frozen peas. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/10 "2011-03-25T18:54:18Z")
Madhur Jaffrey (IIRC) has a wonderful recipe for duck vindaloo somewhere - her Ultimate Curry Bible, perhaps? It needs a bit more of everything than she puts in her recipe (her recipes are always toned down too much, I think), but apart from that it is perfect! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/11 "2011-03-25T18:55:36Z")
Lamb vindaloo is my favorite. Trader Joe’s makes a very nice frozen lamb vinadaloo with rice, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/12 "2011-03-25T19:22:12Z")
Bah. I came in here expecting recipies. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/13 "2011-03-25T20:28:03Z")
[This is the basic](http://hillaryshort.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/neela-paniz-bombay-cafe-and-madhur-jaffreys-chicken-vindaloo-recipe/) vindaloo recipe I follow. One of the keys to great flavor is _caramelize those onions_! It takes time, but you really, really need that deep, rich brown onion to get the right flavor. They should look like [this](http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_caramelize_onions/), not [this](http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/caramelizing_onions.htm). If you like your curries even hotter, try [phall](http://www.food.com/recipe/phall-the-hottest-curry-of-all-61187) (I like mine with habanero), or [tindaloo](http://www.indiacurry.com/chicken/chickentindaloo.htm). Yeah, I know it’s not about macho posturing, and may not necessarily be “authentic,” but, dammit, sometimes I get the craving for some serious heat. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/14 "2011-03-25T20:40:29Z")
I usually only make vindallo for my T-Rex–It prefers cow vindaloo. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/15 "2011-03-25T21:00:08Z")
I made a vindaloo last week-end for the first time in years. (Wife is spice-intolerant.) In order to carry it off, I had people over and prepared a big Indian spread with two mains: Butter Chicken for the timid and a beef vindaloo for the not-so. (To be honest it was on the mildish end of the vindaloo scale, but still spicy enough to get a little sweat on and have 'em reaching for the Cobra.) I usually prefer a lamb vindaloo but had served them lamb the last time they were over. Also, used a new recipe that I’m well pleased with. I think I may fall back on the “two mains” strategy a bit more often, even when I’m cooking for just the nuclear family. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/16 "2011-03-25T21:38:12Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Too spicy by far. My one experience with vindaloo was at a fancy New Yawk City Indian restaurant, and my boyfriend at the time ordered chicken vindaloo. He was sweating bullets and his face got SO RED. He loved spicy stuff, but that’s not an experience I’d ever want to put myself through. He couldn’t taste anything for the next 2 days! Vindaloo varies from medium-hot to nuclear-hot. I certainly wouldn’t recommend ordering it at an unknown restaurant. Getting something too hot for your palate is never a fun experience. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/17 "2011-03-26T01:45:24Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I usually only make vindallo for my T-Rex–It prefers cow vindaloo. GAH! A ref got in! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/18 "2011-03-26T01:47:29Z")
Shrimp vindaloo is great. I had one extra hot one time when I was being an idiot. I had to fill my mouth with milk just to make the pain bearable. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/19 "2011-03-26T05:30:43Z")
Having never heard of shrimp vindaloo, I always considered myself an equal-opportunity vindalooist. Being of the non-seafood persuasion, though, I will now have to reconsider. ☹ Also, hells yeah, make it hot. I quit getting into spicy-food pissing contests after using one of those “additive-only, not a sauce” jobs as one might use ketchup (I’ve heard it said that capsaicin can’t actually cause chemical burns, but I’d like to know the medical term for what happened to my mouth after that stunt)…but Indian food still isn’t done right unless it _hurts_, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920/20 "2011-03-26T14:49:52Z")
There seems to be a difference in terminology between Brit and American curry lovers. Over here there is no such thing as a mild Vindaloo, if its mild it isn’t a Vin. Also when it goes over a certain hotness it becomes a Tindaloo,(Fals are a different kettle of fish), though I’ve read on these boards that this seems to be a Brit term only. A tidbit of information that I found interesting was that Vins were invented by the Portugese in Goa, (On a travel/food programme) no doubt thats where the Vin part of the name comes from . [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vindaloo/575920.md?page=2)