Venison Vindaloo anyone?

I love Indian food. The gravies, the spices, oh my! However, I’m constantly coming across other Americans that don’t “do” Indian food. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the cardamom. Or the fact that half of the dishes at your typical Indian lunch buffet slightly resemble baby poop. Or the fact that Americans have developed a pretty bland and boring palate. (We take our salt and fat with very little seasoning, thank you.)

You know what I say to people that poo poo an entire country’s cuisine? More for me!

Vindaloo is one of the few Indian dishes that is beef-based. Holy cow isn’t just a Bart Simpson quote, after all. You can, however, incorporate venison into the wonderful curries that are vegetarian based – it just needs to stew a little longer!

Onto the vindaloo. Vindaloo is one of those really delicious dishes that translates effortlessly from beef to venison. Maybe add a little extra oil in there, but honestly, it’s not really necessary. This is one of those great Sunday dinner recipes to double and freeze. You can do a quicker cooking vindaloo and only stew it for about 15-20 minutes, however, make sure your venison is well tenderized. You can also crock pot this and let it bubble while you work. Simply put everything in a crockpot after you caramelize the onions. Done and done.

4 from 1 vote
Print
Venison Vindaloo
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 lb venison stew meat rinsed and patted dry
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds any color will do, I used brown
  • 2 onions diced
  • 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1-2 inch piece of ginger skinned and minced
  • pinch cayenne pepper or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 1 heaped tablespoon cumin
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • coconut milk for serving
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • steamed rice and/or naan for serving
  • chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop for a minute or two, being careful not to burn them. Add the onions with a little salt and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes.

  2. Deglaze the pan with a splash of water if needed. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Then add the rest of the spices and again, stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and stir to combine. Add the meat, salt and pepper to taste and the 1/2 cup of water, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium until the meat is very tender, at least 30 minutes or up to 90 minutes.

  3. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a good drizzle of coconut milk. Serve over steamed rice or with a side of naan.


Leave a Reply

2 Comments on "A recipe that rolls off the tongue"

Notify of
avatar

Sort by:   newest | oldest | most voted
Marlys
I am one of those that isn’t big on Indian food, but my husband loves it so I made this dish. It is really tasty and has lots of good flavors going on. I have a weakness for coconut milk, so kept adding more to my bowl! Next time I will use a better cut of meat. There was still too much gristle for me even with a long cook time. Thanks for giving me so many game recipes to try! I have a freezer full and need to work through it, because, it’s not like the meat is going… Read more »