Chicken Xacuti
Goan chicken xacuti: a deeply roasted spice and coconut masala, dark as black coffee, fragrant with star anise and kashmiri chilli. The Sunday lunch curry of Catholic Goa.
Overview
A xacuti masala is built by dry-roasting fresh coconut to a deep mahogany brown alongside a long list of whole spices (Kashmiri and byadgi chillies, coriander, cumin, fennel, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, mace) and grinding them with onion, garlic and ginger into a black-brown paste. The chicken is browned briefly, the paste added, water poured in to cook the chicken through, and tamarind stirred in to finish. The trick is in the roast: the coconut should be almost-burnt, with the bitterness offset by the tamarind.
Ingredients
Xacuti masala
- 100 g fresh grated coconut (or 80 g desiccated, rehydrated in 4 tablespoons of warm water)
- 8 dried Kashmiri chillies
- 4 dried byadgi chillies (or other hotter dried chillies)
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick (small, broken)
- 4 cloves
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 blade of mace (or ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 25 g fresh ginger
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (or a walnut-sized lump soaked in 60 ml hot water and strained)
Chicken
- 1 kg chicken thighs (skin off, bone in if possible; cut into 6-8 pieces)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 onion (finely sliced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 500 ml water
To finish
- 1 teaspoon palm vinegar (or cider vinegar)
- A handful of coriander (chopped)
Method
Stage 1 - Roast the masala
- Heat a dry heavy pan over medium-low heat.
- Toast the fresh coconut for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns from white to deep mahogany brown (this is the moment xacuti is built; pale coconut gives pale xacuti).
- Tip the coconut into a bowl.
- In the same pan, toast the chillies, coriander, cumin, fennel, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and mace for 1-2 minutes until fragrant; tip into the coconut bowl.
Stage 2 - Grind
- Combine the toasted spices and coconut with the turmeric, ginger, garlic, chopped onion and tamarind in a blender.
- Add 100 ml of water.
- Grind to a smooth dark paste; add more water if needed to keep the blade turning.
Stage 3 - Brown the chicken
- Heat the coconut oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt; cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- Push the onion to one side; add the chicken pieces and brown for 3-4 minutes a side.
Stage 4 - The masala
- Pour in the xacuti paste.
- Stir to coat the chicken.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until the oil starts to separate from the masala.
Stage 5 - Simmer
- Pour in the water and the salt.
- Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover partially and cook for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has darkened and thickened to a velvety consistency.
Stage 6 - Finish
- Stir in the palm vinegar.
- Taste and adjust salt.
- Scatter the coriander.
- Rest off the heat for 10 minutes before serving.
Stage 7 - Serve
- Serve with sannas, pao (Goan bread rolls) or steamed rice.
Notes
- Roast the coconut hard: The dish lives or dies on this step. Pull it from the heat one shade before burnt; the dark roast gives xacuti its colour, its slight bitterness and its name.
- Star anise is non-negotiable: It's the back-note that makes xacuti distinct from a regular Goan masala. Skip it and the dish loses its identity.
- Bone-in chicken adds depth: The bones thicken the gravy and add flavour. Skinless is essential (skin in xacuti goes flabby).
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 4 days; the flavour improves over 24 hours.
- Freezes well for 2 months.
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