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Vindaloo

विंदालू
vin-dah-LOO

Goan curry of meat marinated in vinegar, garlic and chillies — usually fiery.

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Meaning & usage

Vindaloo is the most famous Goan curry, a creole dish born of Portuguese "carne de vinha d'alhos" (meat in wine and garlic) reinterpreted with palm vinegar, dried red Kashmiri chillies, garlic and warm spices. Authentically it is pork; restaurants offer chicken, lamb or prawn versions. Despite its UK reputation as a heat-test, a good vindaloo is balanced — sour, sharp, deeply spiced rather than just hot.

In a sentence

A proper pork vindaloo should sting and sing in the same mouthful.

Common spelling variants

  • Vindalho
  • Vindalu

Vindaloo is the English spelling used in MG Mini puzzles.

As seen in crosswords

Vindaloo is a 8-letter answer. A typical clue:

“Goan curry of meat marinated in vinegar, garlic and chillies — usually fiery” (8)

Category: Food Origin: Portuguese Script: Hindi

Related words

  • Biryani — Fragrant layered rice dish with meat or vegetables, slow-cooked with whole spices.
  • Vada — A savory Indian fritter made from legumes or potatoes.
  • Paneer — Fresh, unaged Indian cheese — the vegetarian protein of the north.
  • Samosa — Deep-fried savoury pastry filled with spiced potatoes, peas or meat.
  • Kosha — A Bengali style of slow-cooking food in a thick, richly reduced gravy.
  • Chai — Indian tea, usually brewed strong with milk, sugar and spices.

Related crosswords

Puzzles with a theme close to Vindaloo.

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