Chicken Xacuti is one of the dishes influenced by the Portuguese. The word “xacuti” originates from the Portuguese word “Chacuti.” It is a unique dish which Goan cuisine has to offer. No Goan feast & celebration is complete without xacuti. It tastes amazing with sannas. Here is my way of cooking this special fragrant gravy which we enjoyed & it tasted even better the next day.. J
Ingredients :
· 1 kg Chicken pieces
· 8 to 10 dry Kashmiri Chillies (remove stalks & deseed)
· 3 large Onions (chopped)
· 4 med. Potatoes (halved)
· 3 med. Tomatoes (pureed)
· 1 tsp Cumin seeds
· ½ tsp. Mustard seeds
· 4 tbsps. Coriander seeds
· 20 Peppercorns
· ¼ piece Nutmeg
· 3 tbsps. Poppy seeds (khuskhus)
· 2 tbsps. Til seeds
· ¼ tsp. Aniseed (Sauf)
· 1 Star Anise
· 1 tsp. Turmeric pwd.
· 5 Green Elaichi
· ¼ tsp. Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
· 2” Cinnamon Sticks
· 8 Cloves
· 10 flakes fresh Garlic
· 1”fresh Ginger
· 3 fresh Green Chillies
· 3 tbps. Tamarind paste or pulp
· ½ Coconut (scraped) + ¼ coconut cut into pieces
· 1 tsp. Sugar
· 4 tbsps. Vegetable Oil
· Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
Method :
Wash the chicken pieces, apply salt & keep aside.
On a tawa or pan, toast the kashmiri chillies, cumin, coriander seeds, mustard, nutmeg, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, khuskhus, til, methi seeds, sauf, elaichi, star anise, fresh or dry grated coconut, coconut pieces, 2 of the onions in a little oil each separately.
Toast well but do not burn.
Keep the toasted coconut pieces aside separately till required.
Grind the remaining toasted spices alongwith ginger, garlic, green chillies & turmeric to a fine paste with water.
Apply half of the masala paste to the chicken pieces, mix well & let it marinate for about 30 mins.
Take a large pot or pan & heat oil on med. heat.
Fry one chopped onion till light golden.
Add the marinated chicken & saute well for about 5 mins.
Add the remaining masala paste, saute & fry the chicken along with the masala well.
Add sufficient water to the chicken to form a gravy.
Rinse the halved potatoes in water & add to the chicken gravy.
Adjust salt to taste.
Let the chicken come to a boil & then reduce heat & let it cook covered for about 5 mins.
Now add the tamarind pulp & tomato puree & mix well.
Let it simmer till the chicken & potatoes are cooked till tender & gravy is sufficiently thick.
Make sure it is not too thick.
Garnish with reserved coconut pieces & coriander leaves.
Let the gravy settle for a few minutes for the flavours to meld.
Serve hot with steamed rice, bread or sannas.
On a tawa or pan, toast the kashmiri chillies, cumin, coriander seeds, mustard, nutmeg, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, khuskhus, til, methi seeds, sauf, elaichi, star anise, fresh or dry grated coconut, coconut pieces, 2 of the onions in a little oil each separately.
Toast well but do not burn.
Keep the toasted coconut pieces aside separately till required.
Grind the remaining toasted spices alongwith ginger, garlic, green chillies & turmeric to a fine paste with water.
Apply half of the masala paste to the chicken pieces, mix well & let it marinate for about 30 mins.
Take a large pot or pan & heat oil on med. heat.
Fry one chopped onion till light golden.
Add the marinated chicken & saute well for about 5 mins.
Add the remaining masala paste, saute & fry the chicken along with the masala well.
Add sufficient water to the chicken to form a gravy.
Rinse the halved potatoes in water & add to the chicken gravy.
Adjust salt to taste.
Let the chicken come to a boil & then reduce heat & let it cook covered for about 5 mins.
Now add the tamarind pulp & tomato puree & mix well.
Let it simmer till the chicken & potatoes are cooked till tender & gravy is sufficiently thick.
Make sure it is not too thick.
Garnish with reserved coconut pieces & coriander leaves.
Let the gravy settle for a few minutes for the flavours to meld.
Serve hot with steamed rice, bread or sannas.
Tip :
* Chicken Xacuti tastes better if eaten the next day.
* Do not over cook the chicken.
* Make sure you toast the coconut to a golden brown.
* Well toasted spices give out a fragrant aroma.
* You can exclude potatoes if you wish but I prefer with potatoes.
* Use only Kashmiri Chillies.
* Try & use fresh tamarind pulp.
* Marinating chicken overnight brings out the flavours better.
3 Comments
Excellent site, lot of popular recipes, wooderful. Thanks and Bon Apetit.
Our family visits to the restaurant are sure to reduce! Thanks to your absolutely delicious mouthwatering aromatic recipes! This one is my personal favourite! Thankyou for these recipes aunty!:-)
Thanks Reetu. Home cooking is always special. 🙂