This flavorful and fiery lamb vindaloo is the ultimate Indian curry dinner. It has fork-tender pieces of lamb that are simmered in a deliciously rich vindaloo sauce. Plus, you can make it on the stovetop, in the instant pot, or in a slow cooker!
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THE BEST LAMB VINDALOO
Lamb vindaloo can be found on practically any Indian takeout menu. And once you've tasted it, you'll see why.It's one of my favorite things to order from an Indian restaurant, so I decided to make my own homemade version!
And I wanted to make lamb vindaloo curry recipe that was not only super easy to make at home, but also one that didn't sacrifice any of the dish's fantastic flavor.
Spoiler alert, I think I succeeded with this recipe!
This vindaloo has tender bites of lamb marinated in a mouthwatering, flavorful vindaloo sauce that is seasoned to perfection.
And if you've never made curry or lamb before, don't be intimidated. The prep and active cooking time only come out to about20 minutestotal, and the rest is just letting your stove – or your instant pot or slow cooker – do its thing!
Now, the meat will have to marinate for a few hours, so just keep that in mind when you're planning out when you want to enjoy this delicious meal.
And while you're waiting for the meat to marinate, you can whip up these 5-ingredient biscuits that make the perfect side.
Oh, and if you want a traditional curry recipe, give this Instant Pot chicken curry a try!
Ingredients You'll Need
For the lamb vindaloo:
- Lamb shoulder
- Large onion
- Cloves of garlic
- Dried chili peppers
- Cinnamon sticks- if you don't have whole cinnamon sticks, use ½-1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or ground allspice per stick.
- Bay leaf
- Water- add more if necessary
- Parsley- for decorating
For the vindaloo curry paste:
- Cumin
- Black pepper
- Dried chili peppers
- Garlic cloved
- Ginger powder
- Turmeric powder
- Cloves powder- you can use an equal amount of nutmeg powder.
- Sumac- you can swap it with ½ teaspoon of lemon zest or lemon juice.
- Olive oil
- Lime juice
- Tomato puree
- Salt
You can use many of the same ingredients to make ourInstant Pot paella recipe next!
How To Make Lamb Vindaloo
STEP 1: PREPARATION
First, lightly toast the cumin and peppercorns in a pan, and then add to a blender or food processor along with the garlic, ginger powder, turmeric powder, cloves powder, sumac, olive oil, lime juice, and tomato puree.
Then blend all of these ingredients until a compact paste-like mixture forms.
Next, chop the lamb into large cubes, place in a bowl, and pour the vindaloo sauce over it, completely covering the meat. Then let it marinate in the fridge for3-4 hours.
STEP 2: ADDING FLAVOR TO THIS LAMB VINDALOO
Once your meat is fully marinated, you can get started on the curry.
First, take out a thick-bottomed skillet and heat up your olive oil over medium-high heat.Then add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until the onion has softened.
Next, add the dried chili peppers, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaf and lower the heat and let the spices simmer for a couple of minutes.
STEP 3: COOKING THE LAMB
Once your spices are tempered, add the marinated lamb to the skillet and turn it to medium heat.
Let the meat and sauce come to a simmer, then pour in the water and cover the pan.Next, let everything cook for 2 hours on medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding more water if it starts to look too dry. Once the lamb is so soft that it falls apart when you stick a fork in it, it is done.
Finally, transfer your warm lamb vindaloo to a serving bowl and decorate with fresh parsley. And for the best experience, serve it with a side of Spanish Rice or French Bread.
How To Make Lamb Vindaloo In The Instant Pot
If you want to cut down on cooking time, you can also make your vindaloo curry in the Instant Pot. To do that,follow the prep and sauté instructions as is, then put everything in the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 40 minutesuntil the meat is tender. But make sure to only use 1 ½ cups of water instead of the 3 cups. Then, set the Instant Pot to natural pressure release and serve once the pressure has fully released.
How To Make Lamb Vinadloo In The Slow Cooker
You can also make this delicious vindaloo curry in the slow cooker!Like with the Instant Pot, do the prep and sauté parts of the recipe first, then add everything to the slow cooker. Then let it cook for 5 hours on high or 9 hours on low.
How To Store Lamb Vindaloo
If you're making this recipe with leftovers in mind, you're in for a treat because this lamb vindaloo tastes even better the next day. And storing it couldn't be any easier! Just transfer the vindaloo curry to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
It's also a great recipe for freezing - you can easily make a double or triple batch of it and freeze individual portions to reheat whenever the craving hits. Use a freezer-safe airtight container, label it with the current date, and it'll stay good for up to 3 months.
For the best way to reheat this dish, check out the lamb curry section here.
More Dinner Recipes
If you liked this delicious lamb vindaloo curry, we have a ton of recipes that I think you'll like just as much!
Give one of these a try next:
- Pan seared lamb chops
- Cube steak
- Lamb Breast
- Braised beef shank
- Chicken hearts
- Instant Pot Japanese curry
Yield: 4 servings
Lamb Vindaloo Recipe (With 3 Cooking Options)
This flavorful and fiery lamb vindaloo is the ultimate Indian curry dinner. It has fork-tender pieces of lamb that are simmered in a deliciously rich vindaloo sauce. Plus, you can make it on the stovetop, in the instant pot, or in a slow cooker!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 25 minutes
Ingredients
:
- 1lb (0.45kg) lamb shoulder
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2-3 chili peppers
- Cinnamon sticks
- Bay leaf
- 3 cups water, add more if necessary
- Parsley for decorating
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon cloves powder
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 teaspoon tomato puree
- Salt
Instructions
- Lightly toast cumin and peppercorns.
- Add garlic, ginger powder, turmeric powder, cloves powder, sumac, olive oil, lime juice, tomato puree and add toasted cumin and peppercorns to a blender.
- Blend until a compact mixture is formed.
- Chop meat into large cubes, place in a bowl, and pour mixture over it. Marinate for 3-4 hours in the fridge.
- When the meat is marinated, prepare the other ingredients for cooking.
- In a thick-bottomed skillet, place the olive oil, chopped onion and garlic. Once the onion softens, add the dried chili peppers, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaf and simmer for a couple of minutes.
Cooking On Stovetop
- Add the marinated mea to the skillet, return briefly to medium temperature to allow the meat to simmer, and pour in the water.
- Cover the skillet and cook at a medium temperature for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat becomes soft so that it falls apart when you stick a fork into it.
- Serve warm and decorate with parsley.
Cooking In AnInstant Pot
- Add everything to the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes until the meat is tender.
- Set the instant pot to natural pressure release and serve once the pressure is released.
Cooking In A Slow Cooker
- Add everything to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 5 hours or cook on low for 9 hours.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 serving
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 491Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 34g
