Say “vindaloo” and most people picture the hottest thing on a takeaway menu - a dish measured only in how much it makes you sweat. The real vindaloo is something else entirely, and at Koyal we serve it the way it was meant to be.
Back to Goa
Vindaloo began as the Portuguese dish carne de vinha d'alhos - meat marinated in wine and garlic. Carried to Goa, the wine became local vinegar and the spicing turned unmistakably Indian: dried red chillies, cumin, cloves and cinnamon. Heat is part of it, but the soul of a proper vindaloo is that deep, tangy, garlicky richness - not heat for its own sake.
Koyal's version
Ours is built around wild boar shoulder - a cut with the fat and connective tissue that reward a long, slow cook - finished with toddy vinegar and Goan spices. The result is dark, glossy and layered: sharp and warming at the edges, mellow and savoury underneath, with meat that gives way at the touch of a fork. It is a world away from the neon-red version the word usually conjures.
Where to find it
Wild Boar Vindaloo sits on our a la carte menu and also appears as a main-course choice on the regional tasting menu. If you enjoy our slow-cooked lamb shank nihari, this is the dish to try next. Pair it with a glass of something full-bodied and some house-made bread to catch the sauce.
Come and taste it
You will find it on the table any evening at Koyal, 59-63 Brighton Road, Surbiton. Book a table and taste what a vindaloo is supposed to be.
Experience it in Surbiton
Reserve a table at Koyal - 2 AA Rosettes, Brighton Road, Surbiton
