Slow Cooker Pork Vindaloo

I recently returned from a 17-day cruise and a lot of people have been asking me about the food and meals served on the ship… “ Isn’t everything covered with fat-laden sauces?  Were you able to eat gluten-free?  How did you manage to resist all the desserts? “

I admit to submitting to a few temptations but all in all, it was very easy to maintain a healthy diet while on board… there was an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables. Lean meats, eggs, and fish were available all the time. The chefs were more than willing to cook according to your liking.  And yes, there were plenty of decadent desserts, too.  But every day there was one sugar-free dessert and one gluten-free dessert so that certainly made things a bit easier.  The pavlova was fabulous!

My favorite thing about the ship’s cuisine, though, was the enormous variety of ethnic dishes.  Because passengers hail from all over the world, the chefs go all out to please everyone and make it easy to find your favorite dishes at each meal. For example, at the breakfast buffet, along with all the different things we Westerners would expect, there were a couple of different hot soups, warm and cold stewed fruits, and cold smoked fish with assorted condiments.  It was wonderful to be able to try some things that we never would have at home.

And dinner was even more fun. I learned to really look forward to the Indian dishes on the evening menu.  One that I came to particularly enjoy was Pork Vindaloo.  I had it a couple of different times and really loved it… so when I got home I started looking for recipes.  I couldn’t find any that I really liked so I ended up making up my own and it turned out pretty well.

I chose to do it in the slow cooker so that it could simmer away while I was at work, and when I came home, the kitchen smelled absolutely wonderful!  I could barely wait to dig in.  That first night we had this served over rice… and I froze the remaining 6 portions.  The second time we had it, I served it with red potatoes and vegetables. Wonderful!  Do give it a try.  It would be really good with quinoa or farro too.

I know I will be making this often… and I think that I will try using crushed tomatoes the next time, instead of diced. It will be a bit thicker I think.  I also think that a spoonful of plain yogurt alongside would be really nice.  If you like this dish I hope you will consider trying my version.  It’s easy and all comes together quite easily.


And just a hint…I like to spray the inside of my slow cooker with a non-stick spray for easy cleanup.

Pork Vindaloo
Makes 8 servings

• 1-1/2 Tbs fresh ginger root, peeled, and grated 
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 boneless pork loin roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces, approximately 32 ounces
• 2 cups chopped white onion
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed, and minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes, 28 ounces

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add the pork and toss well to coat the pieces with the spice mixture.
3. Place a large non-stick skillet on the stove over MEDIUM heat.
4. Add the pork to the pan.
5. Cook 5 minutes or until pork is lightly browned on all sides.  Stir occasionally.
6. Place the pork in a slow cooker that has been coated with non-stick spray.
7. Add onion and garlic to pan.
8. Saute about 5 minutes or until onion is softened.
9. Scrape pan to loosen browned bits and then add with onion and garlic to the slow cooker.
10. Add tomatoes to the slow cooker and spread over the onions, garlic, and pork..
11. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or until pork is tender.
12. Remove from slow cooker and divided into 8 servings.
13. Serve with rice or potatoes and veggies.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 213;  Protein 26g; Carbohydrate 9g; Fat 7g; Fibre 2g.

Printable Recipe

Are you a fan of Pork Vindaloo?  What is your favorite Indian dish?