Xacuti is a unique recipe from Goa. It is made with sesame seeds, poppy seeds and a lot of Kashmiri chillies. It is derived from the Portuguese dish Chacuti de Galinha.
It is hot, fiery and delicious.
It’s a dish that is cooked with typical Goan flavours in their traditional style. The technique is to roast the spices then grind them with cooked onion, creating a fragrant, hot and pungent paste. This paste is then used to marinate the chicken and is the base for the sauce. It has a beautiful bright red colour which comes from the Kashmiri chillies that are a key ingredient of this dish.
The recipe for recheado masala uses the same technique.
This recipe comes from the short time that the family was in Goa.
The instructions are explicit about not overcooking the coconut or the onions. If you allow them to colour too much it will impact the bright presentation of this dish.
The recipe, as presented, uses chicken thighs. You could well substitute chicken drumsticks, Marylands, or even a whole chicken cut into pieces. If you do this you will need to adjust the cooking times.
This dish is best served with plain rice or just plain roti. You might also need something cooling, so simple raita might be worthwhile.
the recipe
about
equipment
equipment
- large bowl
- small frypan
- wide pan with lid
ingredients
ingredients
- 800 g chicken thigh fillets - cut into large pieces
- 1 tsp salt
for the masala
- 20 black peppercorns
- 8 cloves
- 8 dried Kashmiri chillies - crumbled
- 5 green cardamom pods - broken open
- 3 tbsp white poppy seeds
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 stick cassia - crumbled
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 star anise - broken into pieces
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- ¼ nutmeg - coarsely grated
for the paste
- 100 g coconut - freshly grated
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onion - coarsely chopped
- 40 g ginger - coarsely chopped
- 10 cloves garlic - coarsely chopped
- 2 green chillies - stalks removed and coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
for cooking
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onion - finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 250 ml tamarind water
for serving
- 1 cup coriander leaves
instructions
instructions
to marinate
- Place the chicken thigh fillet pieces in a large bowl, sprinkle with one teaspoon of salt and set aside.800 g chicken thigh fillets – cut into large pieces, 1 tsp salt
- Add all the masala dry spices to a small pan on medium heat and lightly toast them until they become aromatic. Remove the spices from the pan and set them aside to cool.20 black peppercorns, 8 cloves, 8 dried Kashmiri chillies – crumbled, 5 green cardamom pods – broken open, 3 tbsp white poppy seeds, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 stick cassia – crumbled, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 star anise – broken into pieces, ½ tsp black mustard seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp fenugreek seeds, ¼ nutmeg – coarsely grated
- Add the grated coconut to the pan and toast for five minutes, tossing often until the coconut turns light golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.100 g coconut – freshly grated
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in the pan on medium heat, add one coarsely chopped onion and fry for five minutes, or until onion is cooked, but not coloured. Set cooked onions aside.1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 red onion – coarsely chopped
- Place the fried onions, grated coconut, and toasted spices into a blender. Add the ginger, garlic, green chillies, and turmeric. Add half a cup of cold water, and blend to a fine, smooth paste.40 g ginger – coarsely chopped, 10 cloves garlic – coarsely chopped, 2 green chillies – stalks removed and coarsely chopped, 1 tsp ground turmeric
- Cover the chicken with half of the paste, mix well, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Cover the remaining paste and refrigerate.
to cook
- Heat a wide pan on low heat, add the three tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once hot, add the finely chopped onion and sprinkle over the half teaspoon of salt. Fry for five minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent.3 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 red onion – finely chopped, ½ tsp salt
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess. Reserve the marinade. Add the chicken to the onions and fry, stirring continuously for five minutes, until the chicken is well coloured.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the remaining paste and the reserved marinade. Mix well and cook for five minutes. You will need to stir often to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Once any raw smell has gone from the masala paste add one cup of water and bring it back up to simmer, stirring continuously.
- Add the tamarind water. Mix well, and simmer, uncovered, for another five minutes, until the chicken is cooked, and the sauce has thickened.250 ml tamarind water
to serve
- Remove from heat, place into a serving dish, and garnish with the coriander leaves. Serve.1 cup coriander leaves
notes
notes
private notes
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