Authentic Goan Lamb Vindaloo

Fiery, tangy, and deeply flavourful – the king of Goan curries

A classic Goan vindaloo made with Kashmiri chillies, vinegar, and warm spices. Choose your favourite cooking method below – all three deliver that signature hot-sour-sweet balance and melt-in-the-mouth lamb.

Deep, fiery gravy clinging to tender lamb – serve with rice or pav.

Serves
6–8

Prep Time
20 min

Cook Time
45 min – 8 hrs

Heat Level
Hot (adjustable)

Pressure Cooker

Slow Cooker

Stove Top

Lamb Vindaloo – Pressure Cooker Method (Complete from Raw Lamb)

Step 1: Pressure-cook the lamb first (makes it meltingly tender)

Cut the lamb
Dice 1.7 kg boneless lamb shoulder into roughly 4–5 cm (1½–2 inch) chunks.

Season the lamb (directly in the pressure cooker)
1.7 kg lamb shoulder chunks
1½ tsp salt
¾ tsp turmeric powder
Optional but recommended:
– 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
– 4 green cardamoms, 6 cloves, 2-inch cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves
– 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (for colour)

Add liquid
Add 300–400 ml water – just enough to create steam and a flavourful stock.

Pressure cook
Stovetop cooker: Bring to high pressure, then reduce to medium-low and cook 18–20 minutes after the first whistle.
Instant Pot / electric: HIGH pressure 18 minutes + full Natural Pressure Release (15–20 min).

Check & reserve
Lamb should be 90% tender. Keep all the stock and whole spices – this is liquid gold!

Step 2: Make the vindaloo (using the pre-cooked lamb)

Vindaloo Paste (grind to a smooth paste)

15–18 dried Kashmiri red chillies (reduce to 10–12 for less heat)
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
8–10 fat garlic cloves
2-inch piece ginger
1½ teaspoon turmeric powder
6–8 cloves
2-inch cinnamon stick
1½ tablespoon normal vinegar + 3 tablespoon extra later
½ cup water (to help grinding)

For cooking

5–6 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
3 large onions, very finely chopped or grated (about 400 g)
2 tablespoon normal vinegar (extra)
1 tablespoon tamarind paste or 2 tablespoon thick tamarind water (optional)
1½ teaspoon salt (adjust later)
1–2 teaspoon jaggery or brown sugar
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Optional: 4–5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

Method – Finishing the vindaloo (30–35 minutes)

1. Grind all the vindaloo paste ingredients into a very smooth, thick paste. Add a little more water if needed.

2. Heat the oil/ghee in a wide, heavy pot or large kadai on medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onions and fry 10–12 minutes until deep golden-brown (this is important for the colour and sweetness).

3. Add the ground vindaloo paste. Stir-fry for 4–5 minutes until the oil separates and the raw smell disappears.

4. Add the pre-cooked lamb pieces + 300–400 ml of the reserved pressure-cooker stock (or water if you don’t have it). Mix well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium.

5. Add the extra 2 tablespoon vinegar, tamarind (if using), salt, jaggery/sugar, and the potato chunks. Cover and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes so the lamb drinks up the sauce and the potatoes cook through.

6. Taste! Vindaloo should be hot, tangy, and slightly sweet. Adjust with:
• More vinegar (1 tsp at a time) if you want it sharper
• More jaggery if too sour
• Extra chilli powder if you want it hotter

7. When the potatoes are done and the gravy is thick and oily (it should coat the meat beautifully), turn off the heat. Let it rest 10–15 minutes – it tastes even better.

Serve with steamed rice, jeera rice, or soft pav/bread to soak up that fiery gravy. This is the real-deal restaurant-style lamb vindaloo, made easy and foolproof with the pressure-cooker pre-cook!

Lamb Vindaloo – Slow Cooker Method

Follow the exact same pre-cook steps as the Pressure Cooker tab above (or use already pressure-cooked lamb), then transfer everything (lamb + stock + vindaloo paste + remaining ingredients) to the slow cooker. Cook on LOW 7–8 hours or HIGH 4–5 hours. Add potatoes in the last 2 hours.

Lamb Vindaloo – Traditional Stove Top Method

Skip the pre-cook step entirely. Marinate the raw 1.7 kg lamb chunks in the full vindaloo paste + 3 tbsp vinegar + salt for 1–8 hours (optional but better). Then follow the same onion-frying and cooking steps as above, but simmer covered on the lowest flame for 1½–2 hours until the lamb is buttery tender, adding water as needed.