Vindaloo Sauce

Vindaloo is a traditional Indian curry dish from the region of Goa. It is very spicy! Traditionally, it is served with pork, but you could also do it with chicken or lamb if you want to make something really special. This recipe uses a "vindaloo paste" that you can pick up at your local Asian market or more specialized Indian market if you can't find it in your Asian market. Using the pre-made paste makes this a really simple and easy recipe. If you are a purist, then by all means do some research and make your own homemade paste...nobody's stopping you!

All you do is stir fry the paste in your pan with oil for about 30 seconds, then add the onions and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients (except chilies). Mix them well, and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the chilies during the last 5 minutes. Take it off of the heat. After you put the sauce in your heated and sterilized jars, process in your hot water bath/canner for 35 minutes. Let cool on top of towel on counter top for 12 hours, screw lids tight, label, and put on the shelf for a rainy day! This recipe makes about 3-3.5 pints of sauce.

Ingredients:

• vegetable oil, enough to coat bottom of pan
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 an onion, finely chopped
• 6 Tablespoons vindaloo paste
• 5 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 large green chilies, chopped (I used jalapenos)

Serving suggestion is to brown your chopped meat (chicken, pork, or lamb) in a skillet. Add some green bell peppers and saute for a few minutes. Stir in prepared vindaloo sauce and let simmer for a 5-10 minutes on low heat for flavors to meld. Serve with a side of plain yogurt or raita to cool your palette from all the spiciness!