Chicken Xacuti
Recently I came across this recipe in a popular TV show and since then I totally fell in love with this dish. I’ve tried Prawn Xacuti (pronounced shaa-koo-tee) once in a restaurant, but never got a chance to eat the chicken version.
This dish is more popular in Goa. The flavors and aroma of this dish makes it more popular in India. The name Xacuti is derived from a Maharashtrian dish called “Sagoti” which means ‘Sag‘ or chopped veggies cooked well in a gravy. Goans have made this dish their own and make it with chicken or prawns. Like Keralite food, most Goan food also feature coconut as an ingredient. A little tidbit I learnt when reading up on Goan dishes is that since they were a portuguese colony for so many years, a lot of their food use vinegar for the sour taste. But, since this dish had a Maharashtrian origin, it uses tamarind instead.
My next goal is to try making the Prawn or Shrimp Xacuti.
Ingredients:
- Onion : 1 medium (finely chopped)
- Oil : 3 tbsp
- Chicken : 3 lb (chopped) (I’ve used thighs)
- Turmeric powder : 1 tsp
- Red chili powder : 1 tbsp (aacording to your spice level)
- Coriander powder : 11/2 tbsp
- Tamarind water : 1 cup
- Coconut milk : 1 cup
- Coriander leaves : 1/4 cup (finely chopped)
Masalas to Grind:
- Cloves : 5
- Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
- Cardamom : 3
- Cinnamon : 1″
- Nutmeg : 1/4 tsp
- Whole Red chilies : 6-7 (according to your spice level)
- Poppy seeds : 1/2 tsp (optional)
- Ginger : 2 tbsp (chopped)
- Onion : 1 medium (chopped)
- Grated Coconut : 1/4 cup
- Vinegar : 2 tbsp (optional)
Method Of Preparation:
- Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and add cloves, whole red chilies, nut meg, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin seeds and ginger.
- Fry them until it becomes light brown for 3-4 minutes in medium heat , then remove it from the pan and keep it aside.
- Now heat a tbsp of oil in the same pan and add onion, fry them till it becomes translucent and add grated coconut and poppy seeds fry them for 2-3 minutes and keep it aside.
- Once the above mixture is cool down grind the mixture from step 1 & 3 together into a smooth paste. Keep them aside.
- Now in a pressure cooker add the remaining oil and add onion saute it until it becomes golden brown then add chicken with turmeric powder and salt.
- Fry them for a minute and add the ground masala from step 4, red chili powder and coriander powder , mix it all together let it sit in the heat for a minute and add tamarind water and 1/2 cup of coconut milk.
- Now pressure cook the whole mixture for 1-2 whistle and remove it from heat.
- If you are not using pressure cooker cover it with lid and let it cook until the chicken become soft and tender and all the raw smell goes off.
- Once the pressure is released from the cooker add the remaining coconut milk and vinegar, let it come to full boil or let it sit in medium heat for 5-8 minutes.
- Garnish it with coriander leaves.
- Serve it hot chapathi, parathas or rice.
12 Comments
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im drooling…love the curry looks very spicy and yummy
This is so my kind of flavor!!
Yum, it takes me right back to Goa! Beautiful pics too!
Even I cooked this few months back,,post is still in draft ,..luved tis curry and the pics are making me drool,..
how do i make tamarind water? I have tamarind paste.
This is not an authentic recipe of Goan Chicken Xacuti! Goan Hindus also don’t use vinegar in our cooking. We use ginger, garlic, coriander leaves to marinate the chicken at first.
I made this dish twice already and both of times it was a hit.
So happy i found this recipe – highly recommended!
I tried this recipe today, despite doesnt have garlic I put garlic because I dont conceive any chicken with sauce recipe without garlic. Well I would say its not too bad but I have the feeling something is missing maybe curry leaves? Pepper?
I tried this recipe today, despite doesnt have garlic I put garlic because I dont conceive any chicken with sauce recipe without garlic. Well I would say its not too bad but I have the feeling something is missing maybe curry leaves? Pepper?
I tried this recipe today, despite doesnt have garlic I put garlic because I dont conceive any chicken with sauce recipe without garlic. Well I would say its not too bad but I have the feeling something is missing maybe curry leaves? Pepper?
I tried this recipe today, despite doesnt have garlic I put garlic because I dont conceive any chicken with sauce recipe without garlic. Well I would say its not too bad but I have the feeling something is missing maybe curry leaves? Pepper?
Mouthwatering recipe. Thank for sharing this. My favorite.
Simon