Goan Chicken Xacuti

Chicken Xacuti is a Goan style chicken curry. The chicken curry is made by roasting freshly grated coconut and spices and ground into a smooth and thin gravy. Marinated chicken is then cooked in this spicy coconut curry. Find chicken xacuti recipe video.

Xacuti is pronounced as “sha-cu-tea”. It is also known as “chacuti” in Portuguese. This is an authentic Goan dish and has complex flavours from the various spices added to it. It is also known as shagoti and can be made from lamb or chicken or fish like baby shark or even from mushroom to make mushroom xacuti.

Chicken shakuti also known as shagoti and is made with local spices like black peppercorns, dry red chillies, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander seeds and tamarind. Freshly grated coconut is roasted along with onion and spices and is ground into gravy.

In Goa, chicken xacuti curry is made for any celebration in Hindu or Christian houses. Today’s recipe is how Goan Hindu chicken xacuti is made. Be it birthday’s or anniversaries or any party, this Goan chicken masala curry would never be missed. Apart from that, some people cook chicken shagoti on weekends too.

You might be interested in other chicken recipes like

• Chicken cafreal
• Goan style chicken chilli
• Green chicken curry
• Chicken Chettinad
• Chicken saagwala
• Butter chicken

Ingredients to make Goan chicken xacuti curry:

• Chicken: Use fresh chicken pieces with bone in to make this Goan traditional chicken curry.

For Marinating:

Spice powders like cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, lemon juice, yogurt and salt are applied to the chicken for marination.

For Gravy:

• Coconut: Freshly grated coconut is used in this recipe. Refer to further notes to know how to make chicken shagoti with coconut milk.
• Spices:  The spices used in this chicken curry Goan style are black pepper corns, cloves, coriander seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, tamarind and dry red chillies. Addition of tamarind makes the chicken curry tangy and the other spices make it aromatic and spicy.
• Garlic: Few garlic pods are added to the chicken curry for flavour.
• Onion: Red or purple onion is added to make this spicy curry.
• Garam masala: Little bit of garam masala is added to the recipe. This is optional as we have already added lot of roasted spices too.

How to make chicken xacuti Goan style:

1. Wash the chicken pieces and marinate it. Keep it in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Heat a kadai, add oil and roast grated coconut till it appears brownish. Remove and keep aside.
3. In the same kadai, add little oil and roast the spices – black peppercorns, red chillies, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon till fragrant. After roasting, remove and keep aside.
4. Again, in the same kadai, add 1 tablespoon oil and sauté julienned onion and garlic. After sautéing, remove and keep aside.
   Let all the roasted ingredients cool down completely.
5. Add all the roasted ingredients and tamarind to a mixer/grinder and grind it to a thin smooth paste by adding 3/4 to 1 cup water.
6. Heat a kadai and add oil.
7. Add finely chopped onion and fry till onion turns pinkish.
8. Add marinated chicken pieces and cook for 15 minutes.
9. Pour the gravy from mixer into the kadai over the chicken pieces.
10. Keep it covered and cook on low flame till chicken pieces get cooked properly.

Tips to keep in mind while cooking Goan style chicken xacuti curry:

• Add salt to taste, keeping in mind that salt had been applied while marinating too.
• To know if chicken is cooked, take a small piece on a plate and see if it easily the meat easily gets cut with spoon.
• The meat should look white and should not be pinkish.
• Do not add turmeric powder while roasting spices. Turmeric powder is already applied to chicken while marinating.
• Yogurt is an optional ingredient in marination list.

How to make chicken xacuti with coconut milk?

If you want to make chicken xacuti with coconut milk, just roast the spices and keep aside. Sauté onion and garlic and cool. Grind together the roasted spices and cooled onion-garlic and make a thick smooth paste.  Again, sauté some onion, add marinated chicken and cook for some time. Add ready made coconut and ground spice paste. Mix well and simmer till chicken gets cooked.

You can even make chicken xacuti recipe with ready made masala. While roasting grated coconut, add some ready-made masala and grind into a thin smooth paste. Later follow the remaining same steps to cook chicken shakuti.

How to serve chicken masala Goan style?

Serve this chicken xacuti with Goan pao or slice bread. It goes well with steamed rice or jeera rice too.

You might also be interested in other Goan dishes.

I had used Maharaja Easy lock mixer grinder for grinding the spices and roasted coconut used in this recipe. I had received it for a review. The mixer’s body was light in weight and occupied very less space on the precious kitchen counter. The anti-slip vacuum feet of the mixer’s body ensured that the mixer does not accidentally dropped from the kitchen counter while cleaning.

The USP of the mixer grinder is the Easy Lock feature, hence the name Maharaja Easy Lock Mixer Grinder. There are 2 symbols on the mixer, one red coloured indicating unlock and the green coloured indicating lock. The best part is that the mixer turns on, only when it is fully locked, and the green symbol is visible completely. Without the jar, you cannot run the mixer, and this ensures safety.

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5 from 1 vote

Goan Chicken Xacuti

Chicken Xacuti is a Goan style chicken curry. The chicken curry is made by roasting freshly grated coconut and spices and ground into a smooth and thin gravy. Marinated chicken is then cooked in this spicy coconut curry. Find chicken xacuti recipe video.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Goan, Indian

Servings: 6 People

Author: Raksha Kamat

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg chicken

For Marinating:

• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
• ½ tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 and ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon yogurt
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Gravy:

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 6 black pepper corns
• 8 cloves
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1/4 inch nutmeg
• 1/2 inch cinnamon
• 1/2 inch tamarind
• 4 dry red chillies
• 4 garlic pods
• 2 medium sized onions Julienne
• 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 2 tablespoon oil
• To taste salt

Instructions

• Wash the chicken pieces and marinate it by applying the ingredients meant for marination. Keep this in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can marinate and leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
• Heat a kadai, add 1 tablespoon oil, roast grated coconut on low flame till the grated coconut appears brownish. Remove and keep aside.
• In the same kadai, add 1 teaspoon oil and roast the spices - black peppercorns, red chillies, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon till fragrant. After roasting, remove and keep aside.
• In the same kadai, add 1 tablespoon oil and sauté julienned onion and garlic. After sautéing, remove and keep aside.
• Let all the roasted ingredients cool down completely.
• Add all the roasted ingredients and tamarind to a mixer/grinder and grind it to a thin smooth paste by adding 3/4 to 1 cup water.
• The gravy should not appear grainy when touched with fingers.
• Keep the gravy aside.
• Heat a kadai and add 2 tablespoon oil.
• Add finely chopped onion and fry till onion turns pinkish.
• Add marinated chicken pieces and let them get cooked for 15 minutes.
• Pour the gravy from mixer into the kadai over the chicken pieces.
• Keep it covered and cook on low flame till chicken pieces get cooked properly.
• Add salt to taste, keeping in mind that salt had been applied while marinating too.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Video

Notes

To know if chicken is cooked, take a small piece on a plate and see if the meat easily gets cut with spoon.
Also, the meat should look white and should not be pinkish.

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Note: This recipe was published on 19 Nov 2016 and is republished.