Vindaloo was always one of my favorite dishes to order at Indian restaurants, but I never actually knew what it was all about until recently. Potatoes are an important part of vindaloo. The “aloo” part of vindaloo literally translates to potatoes. I always thought the dish was all about the super spicy sauce! This is kind of funny because at this point I’d invented some vindaloo recipes of my own, without any potatoes.
So, do sweet potatoes count as “aloo”? Probably not. But that’s okay! We can still have some fun by including them in this vegetable vindaloo.
Vindaloo Paste
An awesome vindaloo starts with a great vindaloo paste. You’ll need onion, garlic, ginger, and lots of spices, but it’ll be totally worth it. Other than gathering your ingredients, making the paste is super easy. Just stick everything in a food processor bowl.
And blend it up to make a smooth paste.
Tip: I like to make a double batch of the paste and freeze half for later.
How to Make Vegetable Vindaloo
Most of my curry and stew recipes start with a step of sautéing some aromatics in a bit of oil. With vindaloo, your aromatics are in the paste, so you’ll be sautéing the paste. Once you’ve cooked the paste for a minute or so, add some broth, followed by your sweet potatoes. Bring the liquid to a simmer and let the sweet potatoes cook for about 5 minutes before adding the rest of your veggies. Simmer everything together until the sweet potatoes are soft.
Serve your vindaloo with some rice and fresh cilantro.
Feel free to adjust the heat level to your liking. Vindaloo is typically very spicy, and this version is comparatively mild. Add more chili paste at the end if you like. Feel free to switch up the veggies with your favorites. Broccoli, carrots, and even regular old potatoes (in place of the sweet potatoes) would be excellent. Is this recipe gluten-free? Yup! Want to add some protein? Pan-fry some tofu cubes according to this method and stir them in at the end. Vindaloo paste freezes well. Make a double batch and freeze half for later!
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