This recipe was awesome. Delicious and super easy. Made by simplifying a slightly (but not much) more complex recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking.

Serves 6.

Ingredients
Vegetable oil
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced into thin half-rings
1-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small, whole head of garlic, with all the cloves separated and peeled
5 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp ground coriander
2-3 tsp dried red chili flakes [Note: 3 tsp makes a very hot vindaloo not suitable for all palates]
2 tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp ground mustard seed
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp light brown sugar
1½ tsp salt

1 c vegetable stock
2 lb boneless lamb shoulder meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

Make the Vindaloo paste

Heat oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium flame.
Add onions. Fry, stirring frequently, until the onions are brown and crisp. Try not to burn the onions.

Put browned onions into a food processor.
Add the ginger, garlic, vinegar, and all the spices/sugar/salt.
Process until smooth, adding water as necessary (3+ Tbsp should be enough).
Now you have vindaloo paste, which can be made ahead of time and frozen.

Cook the Vindaloo

Dry off the meat cubes with a paper towel and remove large pieces of fat, if any.
Heat oil over a medium-high flame.
When hot, put in the lamb 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.

Turn down the heat to medium.
Add 2/3 of vindaloo paste and stir for a few seconds.
Add back the meat, any juices that may have accumulated, and stock.
Bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for an hour or until meat is tender.

Add remainder of vindaloo paste.
Stir to combine and bring back to simmer.

Serve, garnished with fresh cilantro.