chicken xacuti

• 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