Madhur Jaffrey writes that the term vindaloo comes from Portuguese *vinho*, meaning wine, and *alho*, meaning garlic.
The Goans use a chili variety from Kashmir for this, which is more notable for its red color than its pungency. Jaffrey recommends a mixture of hot chilies and paprika powder as a substitute.
The dish goes well with plain long-grain rice and a leafy salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and chopped lettuce, dressed with a little lemon.
Sprinkle meat with 1 tsp salt. Drizzle 3 tbsp red wine vinegar over and massage into meat. Set aside for 2-3 hours.
Spice paste: grind cumin seeds, paprika, chilies, peppercorns, dislodged cardamom seeds and cloves in a spice or coffee grinder to a fine powder. Blend 10 garlic cloves and ginger with turmeric and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a hand blender to form a paste. Add ground spices and blend again. Rub meat with half of the spice paste, cover and refrigerate for one night. Place remaining spice paste in a tightly covered container to chill as well.
Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a large, heavy skillet, preferably coated, over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the crushed 4 cloves of garlic. Stir-fry until the garlic cloves begin to brown slightly. Add onion rings and continue to fry until brown. Add tomatoes and 3 green chilies, stir-fry for one minute. The