Chicken Xacuti (Goa)

Xacuti (say 'sha-kuti') is what Goan families cook for feasts. Coconut is roasted until brown together with a long list of whole spices and white poppy seeds, giving a thick, nutty, aromatic gravy.

Video by Cookd on YouTube. Our recipe below is our own home-style version, written in our own words – quantities and steps may differ from the video.

• Serves 4
• Prep 25 min
• Cook 45 min
• gluten-free · dairy-free
• Famous in Goa

Ingredients

• 900 g chicken pieces
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 80 g grated or desiccated coconut
• For the spices: 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp white poppy seeds, 6 dried Kashmiri chillies, 4 cloves, 3 cm cinnamon, 1 star anise, ¼ nutmeg, grated
• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp jaggery or brown sugar

Method

1. Rub the chicken with turmeric, salt and lemon juice.
2. In a dry pan roast the coconut on low heat until light brown. Add all the whole spices and poppy seeds and roast for 2 more minutes until fragrant. Cool, then grind with 200 ml water to a smooth paste.
3. Heat the oil and fry the onions until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute.
4. Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes, then the ground paste and 200 ml water.
5. Cover and simmer for 25–30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
6. Stir in tamarind and jaggery, simmer 5 more minutes and adjust salt. Serve with rice or Goan poi bread.

Tip: Like most curries, xacuti tastes even better the next day.

Shop the ingredients

Everything you need for this recipe is in stock at Farmah’s – order online or pick it up at Annenstraße 41, Graz.