Healthy Vegan - Fresh India Sweet Potato Vindaloo

This Sweet Potato Vindaloo is the second recipe I cooked from the cookbook Fresh India: Quick, easy and Delicious Vegetarian Recipes For Every Day by Meera Sodha which I was gifted at Christmas.   
When I think of Vindaloo, I wrongly and stereotypically think of old classic Bollywood movies with Catholic Indian characters called De Sueza or D'Silva living near a beach or a fishing village in or near Goa, India.  Vindaloo came to India via the Portuguese and was known as carne de vinho d'alhos (meat marinated in wine and garlic). I don't ever recall any of the movie characters ever making or eating a variation of vindaloo, but I sort of romanticised it in my mind growing up and tried to make sense of the popularity of the burning hot Vindaloo in the UK.  I still don't understand it, but what I do know is that I miss those old fashion Bollywood movies.  I find Bollywood movies to be just a long pop video and am very selective of those I watch.  those I watch are often recommended by family and close friends.  

Vindaloo is traditionally made with pork.  I like spiced food but not ridiculously hot either, so the appeal to make a vegetarian or vegan version of it never occurred to me.  There re a few Sweet Potato Vindaloo recipes around, as well as a popular variation of Two Potato Vindaloo by Ottolenghi, but I am trusting Meera Sodha's Sweet Potato Vindaloo version as the flavours may be more authentic.  
I chopped the sweet potatoes quite chunky.  Once it was made and cooled down, i Put the Sweet Potato Vindaloo overnight in the fridge.  You know what they says, some dishes taste better the next day and I think this is true of this dish. D liked it and so did I.  The flavours were interesting, and why would it not be with spices like star anise, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns and then white wine vinegar for piquancy.  It was also hot, but hot that you can handle as Meera Sodha writes 'not mind blowingly so' and I agree.
If the Sweet Potato Vindaloo frightens you, then you will  be pleased to note that there is no shortage of spiced Sweet Poatot recipes on my blog, but the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Sweet Potato Curry  would give the Sweet Potato Vindaloo Curry a good run for its money

You can find Meera Sodha's reipe from Fresh India for Sweet Potato Vindaloo here on The Financial Times.   Also if your interested in the History of the Vindaloo, then you may find this article published in The Metro interesting.

 Here is a link to 10 Great Bollywood Movies Set in Goa, India.

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