One of my favourite Indian cuisines is Goan cuisine. Despite being a food writer, I am terribly fussed about the dishes I enjoy and I find myself constantly gravitating towards the occasional Goan dish. My curry is always Goan Prawn curry (I’ve got a recipe on this website and my YouTube channel) and I though roughly enjoy trips to Goa where I can indulge. I don’t cook most Goan dishes because I find them tedious but some, I’ll make an exception for. Like this Goan Xacuti.
What Is Xacuti? (Pronounced Shakooti)
A Xacuti is basically a curry made with spices, coconuts and poppy seeds. You can have your choice of protein – usually chicken or crab those are the favourites and it’s a mildly thick curry sometimes with the addition of potatoes. This is a very popular Goan recipe that is a favourite among locals and tourists and is a fairly easy recipe to make.
Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken
½ kg chicken
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 – 2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
For the Masala Paste
½ coconut (grated or cut into small pieces)
4 dried kashmiri red chillies
2 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
2 small sticks of cinnamon
10 cloves
10 black pepper pods
5 cardamom pods
½ nutmeg
1 chopped onion
2 green chillies
For the curry
1 chopped onion
1 chopped tomato
1 – 2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
Extra chopped onion and coriander for garnish
Method
Roast all the spices and grated coconut for a couple of minutes till they start to toast and turn aromatic. Set it aside to cool. In the same pan add a little oil, chopped onion and green chilli and sautee till the chillies blister and the onions turn golden brown. Set aside to cool.
While the mixture is cooling down, marinate your chicken with salt, turmeric and ginger garlic paste.
Once the mixtures have cooled add all of it to a blender along with 2 teaspoons of turmeric and some water and grind into a paste. You might have to keep scraping down the sides and adding more water to grind it into a smooth paste.
In your crockpot add some oil and chopped onion, cook for 2 minutes till it turns golden brown and add chopped tomato. Cook for a couple of minutes till it breaks down and then add in your marinated chicken. Cook for 2 minutes mixing it all and add a cup or two of water. Cover and let it cook for 5 minutes.
After 5 or 6 minutes, add in the masala paste along with some more water another cup or two mix well and let this cook for a few minutes. Add salt to taste, 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder and cover and let it cook for another 20 minutes. I cook this entire curry for a total of 30 minutes so the chicken on the bone cooks through and the masala paste has time to cook and thicken slightly.
If the gravy is too watery keep cooking for a few more minutes. You need to find a balance where the gravy isn’t too thick or thin. Once cooked serve hot with a garnish of chopped onion and coriander. Eat hot with roti or rice and enjoy.
How To Serve Chicken Xacuti
This chicken Xacuti is almost like a curry so the easiest way to serve a chicken xacuti is with steamed rice. You can also serve Chicken Xacuti with roti or chapati or even mop it up with bread. In Goa most folks like to enjoy their xacuti with poi, the local Goan bread.
How To Store Chicken Xacuti
Like any curry, the best way to store chicken xacuti is in the refrigerator for a couple of days. It always tastes better the next day. If you like you can prepare the masala paste before hand and freeze it for upto 3 months. You can keep it in the fridge for 5 days and take it out before you start marinating the chicken so it comes to room temperature before you cook it.
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