V is for vindaloo

According to Madhur Jaffrey's Indian cookbook, this is chicken vindaloo the hard way. It wasn't that hard, but it was spicy as hell. (As always, I increased the original recipe's spice quite a bit; the version below is my adaptation.) This made us sweat and want to sop up every last bit with the naan I bought at the Indian Bazaar on Valencia. Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
3 hot, dried red chili peppers
1 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cardamom seeds (take seeds out of the pods)
3-inch stick of cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp whole black mustard seeds
1 tsp whole fenugreek seeds
5 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt
1 tsp light brown sugar
10 tbsp vegetable oil & 3 tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced into fine half-rings
1 cup chicken stock
2 lb boneless chicken meat, cut into 1-inch cubes (lamb will also do)
2-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small, whole head of garlic, with all the cloves separated and peeled
2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground tumeric

Preparation

Grind cumin seeds, red chilies, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, black mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds in a coffee-grinder (or other spice grinder). Put the ground spices in a bowl. Add the vinegar, salt, and sugar. Mix and set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a wide, heavy pot over a medium flame. Put in the onions. Fry, stirring frequently, until the onions turn brown and crisp. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and put them into the container of an electric blender or food processor. (Turn off the heat.) Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the blender and puree the onions. Add this puree to the ground spices in the bowl. (This is the vindaloo paste. It may be made ahead of time and frozen.)

Dry off the meat cubes with a paper towel and remove large pieces of fat, if any.

Put the ginger and garlic into the container of an electric blender or food processor. Add 2 to 3 Tablespoons of water and blend until you have a smooth paste.

Heat the oil remaining in the pot once again over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the meat cubes, a few at a time, and brown them lightly on all sides. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and keep in a bowl. Brown all the meat this way. Now put the ginger-garlic paste into the same pot. Turn down the heat to medium. Stir the paste for a few seconds. Add the coriander and tumeric. Stir for another few seconds. Add the meat, any juices that may have accumulated, the vindaloo paste, and 1 cup stock. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for an hour or until meat is tender. Stir a few times during this cooking period. Serves 6.