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Vindaloo Curry with Lentils and Potatoes
5 from 39 votes

Vindaloo Curry with Lentils and Potatoes

Vindaloo Curry with Lentils and Potatoes is a spiced vegetarian curry featuring cubed yellow potatoes, tender lentils, and a homemade vindaloo spice blend. The dish balances warm spices like cumin, coriander, and cardamom with vinegar's tang, resulting in a rich, mildly spicy curry with hearty textures and complex flavors.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 3
Calories: 268 kcal
Course: Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For the Vindaloo Spice Mix
  • 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons kashmiri chili powder or use sweet paprika, but I would highly recommend getting some Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
For the Crispy Potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • 1 cup yellow potatoes or other potatoes cut 3/4” cubes, peeled and cubed
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the Vindaloo Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons neutral cooking oil divided, generic cooking oil
  • 1 cup onion red, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
  • 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste or use 5 cloves garlic, minced, and 1” ginger, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water or more, if needed, or stock
  • 15 ounce lentils or 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils or cooked/ canned beans of choice, can, drained
  • cilantro
  • lemon juice
  • cream
  • Non-Dairy yogurt for garnish, or cream

Instructions

Make the vindaloo spice mix. 
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add all of the spices to a small bowl, and mix really well. Set aside. 
Crisp up the potatoes. 
  1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the potatoes, and toss well to coat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add 1 teaspoon of the vindaloo spice mix and salt into the potatoes, tossing well to coat. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook until the potatoes are almost cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir them once in between to crisp up some of the other edges of the potatoes, as well.  Remove the potatoes from the pan. 
Make the vindaloo sauce.
  1. To the same pan, add a teaspoon of oil, then heat it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Mix and cook until the onion is golden, about 7 to 9 minutes, adding splashes of water in between to help the onion brown evenly and stirring every minute, as well. 
  2. Once the onion is golden, reduce the heat to medium-low, mix in the other teaspoon of oil, then add in all of the remaining vindaloo spice mix, and mix well. If the pan is getting a little too dry, mix in splashes of water, which will also reduce the heat of the pan a little bit, so that the spices don't burn. Then, cook for a few seconds, and stir in the ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste, and vinegar. If your pan is too hot, then add in a splash of water. If you're using minced ginger and garlic, just add the minced ginger and garlic first, cook for a minute, then add in the tomato paste and vinegar and mix in.
  3. Mix in 1/4 cup of the water, stir really well, increase the heat back to medium, and bring to a boil, cooking until the whole mixture thickens a little bit and starts to leave the sides of the pan and you can see a sheen of oil on top. That will take anywhere from 3 to 4 minutes. 
  4. Add in the remaining 3/4 cups of the water and mix well. Depending on how it's saucy you want the lentils vindaloo to be, you can add in more water at this point. Bring to a boil, fold in the lentils, potatoes, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. If you like the sauce to be creamier, add in. 2-3 tablespoons non dairy yogurt and cream as well. Then mix and cover with the lid and cook for 3 to 5 minutes for the flavors to meld, then switch off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and flavor, and garnish with non-dairy yogurt, cilantro, and lemon juice. Serve with rice, flatbread, or naan. 

Notes

  • Use Kashmiri chili powder for authentic mild heat and color; sweet paprika can replace but changes flavor and heat level.
  • This dish is naturally gluten-free and nut-free when using soy- and nut-free non-dairy yogurt for garnish.

Nutrition Information

Calories 268kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 40g (13%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 7g (11%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 3g (15%) Sodium 559mg (23%) Potassium 1258mg (27%) Fiber 13g (52%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 1338IU (27%) Vitamin C 31mg (34%) Calcium 73mg (7%) Iron 10mg (56%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 268

% Daily Value*

Calories 268kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 40g 13%
Protein 14g 28%
Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Sodium 559mg 23%
Potassium 1258mg 27%
Fiber 13g 52%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 1338IU 27%
Vitamin C 31mg 34%
Calcium 73mg 7%
Iron 10mg 56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.