Chicken Vindaloo, Curry House Style
A hot, tangy chicken curry with the deep colour and gloss of a good curry house vindaloo, built on your own paste and base sauce.
Made with Curry base sauce (onion and tomato) and Vindaloo paste. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time50 mins
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £2.14 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oil in a large, wide pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and golden.
9 min - 2
Add your ready made vindaloo paste (see the base recipe) and fry for 3 minutes, stirring, until it smells rich and the oil begins to separate.
3 min - 3
Add the chicken and brown it on all sides for 5 minutes, stirring so it takes up the paste.
5 min - 4
Pour in your ready made curry base sauce (see the base recipe) with the potatoes and 100 ml of water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through with no pink and the potatoes are soft.
22 min 30 s - 5
Stir in the vinegar and salt, taste, and add more of either if the curry needs lifting.
- 6
Scatter with the coriander and serve with plain rice or naan.
Tips
- Fry the paste before adding anything wet. Raw paste tastes harsh and sour.
- Add the vinegar at the end so the tang stays bright.
- Use thigh meat, which stays tender through the long simmer and the heat.
Storing and freezing
Keeps for 3 days in the fridge, cooled within 1 to 2 hours. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months and reheat until steaming hot all the way through. The flavour deepens overnight.
Questions
How hot is this?
It is properly hot, like a curry house vindaloo. Make it milder by using 50 g of paste and a little extra base sauce, or serve with a cooling raita.
Can I leave out the potatoes?
Yes. Serve it with rice or bread instead, or use extra chicken. Potatoes are traditional and soak up the sauce.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as long as you serve it with rice and your base sauce and paste were made with gluten free ingredients, as the recipes in this guide are.
More made with curry base sauce (onion and tomato)
Masala Shepherd's Pie with Peas and Spiced Mash
GFEFNFJhinga Karahi (Prawn Karahi)
GFDFEFVegetable Madras (Hot Vegetable Curry House Curry)
GFDFEFLamb Tikka Masala with Charred Lamb Pieces
EFNFSee every dish made with curry base sauce (onion and tomato)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.