Chicken Xacuti
dark roasted-coconut curry heavy with whole spice, the Goan Catholic Sunday chicken
Allergens in Chicken Xacuti: none of the ten listed below.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 900g bone-in, in curry pieces Chicken
- 1 cup grated fresh Coconutfrozen grated works; desiccated does not
- 10 Kashmiri, stalks removed Dried Red Chilli
- 2 tbsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tbsp Poppy Seedsthickens the gravy
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 6 Cloves
- 3cm piece Cinnamon
- 1 Star Anisethe spice that makes xacuti smell like xacuti
- 1/4 tsp, grated Nutmeg
- 1 blade Maceoptional
- 1 tsp Stone Flowerdagad phool, for the earthy back noteoptional
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 3 medium, finely sliced Onion
- 1 tbsp paste Ginger
- 1 tbsp paste Garlic
- 1 tbsp thick pulp Tamarind
- 3 tbsp Coconut Oil
- a small handful, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop, kadhai, blender
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Marinate the chicken with the turmeric, half the ginger-garlic paste and salt for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Soak the tamarind in 3 tbsp hot water and squeeze out the pulp before you start; you will want it at the end.
- Grate the coconut fresh if you possibly can. The whole dish is built on the flavour of coconut browned in a dry pan.
Method
- Dry-roast the coconut in a kadhai over low heat, stirring constantly, 10-12 minutes until it is the colour of milk chocolate. Tip it out onto a plate.Low heat and never stop stirring. Coconut goes from golden to burnt in under a minute, and burnt coconut cannot be rescued.
- In the same pan roast the chillies, coriander powder, cumin, poppy seeds, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, mace and stone flower for 2 minutes until fragrant.Add the coriander powder last. Ground spice scorches far faster than whole seed.
- Grind the roasted coconut and spices with the nutmeg and about 200ml warm water to a very smooth, thick paste. Give it a full 3-4 minutes in the blender.Any grittiness left now stays gritty in the finished curry.
- Heat the coconut oil and fry the sliced onion 12 minutes until deep gold and collapsing.
- Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste and fry 2 minutes until the raw smell lifts.
- Add the marinated chicken and turn it over high heat 6-8 minutes until the pieces are sealed and no longer pink outside.
- Stir in the ground masala and cook it down 8-10 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and oil beads at the edges.This is where xacuti gets its depth. If it catches, add a splash of water rather than lowering the flame.
- Pour in 400ml hot water, season with salt, cover and simmer 20 minutes until the chicken is tender and the gravy coats a spoon.
- Stir in the tamarind pulp, simmer 3 minutes more, and taste for salt and sourness. Finish with coriander leaves.
Safe temperatures: Chicken and duck are done at 74°C / 165°F, taken at the thickest part and clear of the bone. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. FoodSafety.gov
Storage
Keeps 3 days refrigerated and is better on day two once the roasted coconut settles. Reheat gently with a splash of hot water; freezes 2 months.
Nutrition Low estimate
One serving of Chicken Xacuti (358 g) is about 513 calories, or 144 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 51 g a serving, 40% of the calories
| Per serving358 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 513 kcal | 144 kcal |
| Protein | 51.3 g | 14 g |
| Carbohydrate | 19.6 g | 6 g |
| of which sugars | 6.4 g | 2 g |
| Fibre | 5.9 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 25.7 g | 7 g |
| of which saturated | 16.4 g | 5 g |
| of which unsaturated | 6.4 g | 2 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for stone flower. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · Goan recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.