Chicken Xacuti

This is another well known chicken curry of Goa pronounced as Shakuti. It is generally made on Sundays in most of the Goan households and is eaten with pao (bread) and with rice.

The garam masala that I have used in this is my mom’s home made masala. Click here for the recipe. You can use any store brought garam masala but the taste differs. You can also make ‘roos omlet’ (another well known Goan delicacy) of the left over curry by just making an omlet of an egg,  soak it with this chicken curry and serve it stuffed in a Goan poli (famous bread of Goa). So here is the recipe of Chicken Xacuti.

Ingredients –

1 kg chicken cut into medium sized pieces,

2 onions finely chopped,

2 tomatoes finely chopped,

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste,

Juice of 1 lime,

1/4^th tsp turmeric powder,

1 bay leaf,

2 green chilies,

Coriander leaves,

5 tsp oil

To grind-

2 cups grated coconut,

1 big onion cut lengthwise,

4 cloves,

6 peppercorns,

A small piece of cinnamon,

4 tsp garam masala powder,

2 tsp red chili powder,

2 tsp oil

Method –

Marinate the chicken pieces with ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, lime juice and salt for a minimum 1 to 2 hours.

Heat oil in a pan and fry lengthwise cut onions till golden brown. Add coconut and keep frying till the mixture turns dry and light brown in color.

Add cloves, pepper and cinnamon and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Once cooled grind this with garam masala and red chili powder to a very smooth paste with sufficient water.

Keep this masala aside.

In a deep bottomed pan heat oil and fry bay leaves and slit green chilies for half a minute.

Add finely cut onion and fry for 5 to 6 minutes till onion gets cooked. Now add tomatoes and fry well till tomatoes are done.

Add chicken pieces to this, mix well and cover it with a lid.

When chicken is half cooked, add the ground masala. Adjust salt.

Cover and cook till chicken is done.
Garnish with coriander leaves and add more lime juice if required.

Serve hot with pao or chapattis, or plain rice.