Fiery vindaloo chili

Vindaloo, a popular Indian curry layered with heady spices, vinegar and aromatics, is the inspiration behind this vibrant beef chili. Dried chiles and whole spices are lightly toasted then puréed with garlic, ginger and vinegar to create a vindaloo paste that’s both spicy and tangy. (Whole spices yield the best flavor, but using ground will still achieve great results.) Sour cream and avocado -- classic chili toppings -- finish the dish with creamy texture and cooling contrast to balance the richly spiced sauce. Dried Kashmiri chiles can be found in Indian markets or online and give the most authentic flavor, but dried New Mexico and guajillo chiles are good alternatives.