A little bit of Vindaloo history:

In 1509 the Portuguese explorer, Alfonso de Albuquerque came to India. He captured Goa a tiny state on the West Coast of India, from the Sultan of Bijapur and made it the headquarters of the Portuguese Empire in India. The Portuguese controlled the whole of India’s export trade to Europe for more than a century. The Portuguese introduced chili peppers, potatoes, coffee, tobacco and Christianity to India. Goa became a Portuguese colony and is about one third Christian to this day.

Vindaloo is a very hot and sour dish developed by the descendants of the Portuguese. Goa is known for its fiery Pork Vindaloo. Goa is one of the few states in India where pork is commonly consumed. This dish use to be taken on sea voyages hence there is no water used in it, and the vinegar acts as a preservative. The word Vindaloo comes from the Portuguese word Vin, meaning vinegar and Alho meaning garlic.

Vindaloo Masala

8 Dried Red Cayenne peppers

20 Black Pepper Corns Read the rest of this entry »

Author: Roma | Categories: Indian, Recipes
Tags: Goa, indian recipe, Pork, South India
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Indonesia is composed of thousands of islands big and small and among them Java, Sumatra and Bali are the most popular islands for tourism. The largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia attracted powerful Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu rulers for the past two thousand years. Some of Indonesia’s eastern islands like Molucca or Spice Islands now called Maluku were the only place in the world where cloves and nutmeg grew. The people of Maluku used to plant a clove tree to celebrate childbirth. The child would also wear a string round his or her neck strung with cloves to protect them from evil spirits and diseases. The food of Indonesia is very rich and has a great variety inherited from the different historical influences over the years. The cultures are so diverse that many languages and dialects are spoken. Bahasa Indonesia is the national language and it was derived from Malay the language of Malaysia

In Indonesia meats grilled on bamboo skewers are called Sate` and in Malaysia they are called Satay. Indonesian cuisine is a unique combination of spicy chilies and flavorful herbs and other seasonings with the sweet coconut, peanuts and honey. Sate` is one of the most popular dishes in Indonesia with it’s peanut dipping sauce. There is also a famous salad called “Gado Gado” which is a mixture of vegetables, potatoes and tofu served with peanut sauce. Sate` is made with lamb, chicken, shrimp, turtle, beef or pork. Read the rest of this entry »

Author: Roma | Categories: Gluten Free, Recipes
Tags: Appetizer, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Indonesia, Pork
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