Name: Potato Vindaloo
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Spanish & PortugueseAsiaEuropeIndian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 onions , chopped fine; 1 pound red potatoes , unpeeled and cut into ½-inch pieces; 1 pound sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces; Salt and pepper; 10 garlic cloves , minced; 4 teaspoons paprika; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 2 1/2 cups water; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon mustard seed; 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes; 2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Why This Recipe Works

Vindaloo is a complex, spicy dish that blends Portuguese and Indian cuisines into a potent braise featuring warm spices, chiles, wine vinegar, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and mustard seeds. We set out to translate its comfort-food appeal into a hearty vegetarian version. Centering our dish around potatoes seemed right, as it required low-and-slow cooking to develop complex flavors, and a combination of red and sweet potatoes elevated our stew's flavor even further. However, after 45 minutes of simmering, the potatoes were still too firm. A second look at our ingredients showed us why: The acidic environment created by the tomatoes and vinegar was preventing our potatoes from becoming tender. To test our theory, we whipped up another batch, this time leaving out the tomatoes and vinegar until the end, cooking them just enough to mellow their flavors. Sure enough, after just 15 minutes, our potatoes were perfectly tender. To give our vindaloo exceptionally deep flavor, we used a mix of Indian spices plus bay leaves and mustard seed, and simmered them with the potatoes, which soaked up the flavors as they cooked.

Before You Begin

Serve over rice with a dollop of yogurt.

Instructions

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and potatoes begin to soften at edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Stir in garlic, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, and cloves and cook until fragrant and vegetables are well coated, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in water, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in bay leaves, mustard seeds, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their juice and vinegar and continue to simmer, uncovered, until flavors are blended and sauce has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves, stir in cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.