Chicken Xacuti — pronounced “sha-cu-tea” and also known as chicken shakuti, shagoti, or chacuti in Portuguese — is one of Goa’s most celebrated curries. Freshly grated coconut and whole spices are roasted and ground into a smooth, aromatic gravy, then simmered with marinated chicken for a curry that’s deeply flavorful without being overly heavy.
What Makes Chicken Xacuti Different from Other Curries?
Unlike many Indian curries that lean on a wet masala paste of onion-tomato, xacuti’s signature flavor comes from roasting its components separately — coconut, whole spices, and onion-garlic — before grinding them together into gravy. This roasting step is what gives xacuti its distinctive deep, toasted aroma and sets it apart from a typical chicken curry.
You might be interested in other chicken recipes like
- Chicken cafreal
- Goan style chicken chilli
- Green chicken curry
- Chicken Chettinad
- Chicken saagwala
- Butter chicken
- Malvani chicken curry
Ingredients for Goan Chicken Xacuti
Chicken: Bone-in chicken pieces work best for absorbing the curry’s flavor.
For marinating: Cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, yogurt (optional), and salt.
For the gravy:
- Coconut – freshly grated and roasted; the base of the curry.
- Whole spices – black peppercorns, cloves, coriander seeds, nutmeg, and cinnamon, roasted until fragrant.
- Tamarind – for tang.
- Dry red chilies – for heat and color.
- Garlic and onion – both roasted (for the gravy) and sautéed fresh (for the base).
- Garam masala – optional, since the roasted whole spices already carry most of the aromatic load.
How to Make Chicken Xacuti (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Marinate the Chicken Wash and marinate the chicken with the marination spices. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight for deeper flavor).
Step 2: Roast the Gravy Components Separately
- Roast grated coconut in a little oil until browned.
- In the same pan, roast the whole spices (peppercorns, red chilies, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon) until fragrant.
- Sauté julienned onion and garlic until softened.
Let everything cool completely before grinding — this matters more than it sounds, since grinding warm ingredients can make the paste split or turn oily.
Step 3: Grind the Gravy Add all the roasted ingredients along with tamarind to a grinder, and blend with ¾–1 cup water into a smooth, thin paste with no graininess.
Step 4: Cook the Chicken Heat oil in a kadai, fry finely chopped onion until pinkish, then add the marinated chicken and cook for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Add the Gravy and Simmer Pour the ground gravy over the chicken, cover, and cook on low flame until the chicken is fully cooked through.
Step 6: Finish and Serve Adjust salt to taste (remembering salt was already added during marination), and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Tips for the Best Chicken Xacuti
- Let all roasted ingredients cool completely before grinding, or the gravy can turn grainy or oily.
- Skip turmeric powder during the spice-roasting step — it’s already in the marinade.
- To check doneness, the chicken should be white (not pink) and cut easily with a spoon.
- Yogurt in the marinade is optional but adds a subtle tang and tenderizes the chicken slightly.
Variations
Chicken Xacuti with Coconut Milk: Roast the spices and onion-garlic as usual, grind into a thick paste, then stir in ready-made coconut milk instead of fresh grated coconut for a slightly lighter, faster version.
Chicken Xacuti with Store-Bought Masala: Add a ready-made xacuti masala while roasting the coconut, then grind and proceed with the recipe as usual — a useful shortcut on busier days.
How to Serve Chicken Xacuti
Serve with Goan pao (bread) or sliced bread, steamed rice, or jeera rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce xacuti? Xacuti is pronounced “sha-cu-tea.” It’s also known by the names shakuti, shagoti, or chacuti (the Portuguese-derived spelling), depending on the region and community.
What’s the difference between chicken xacuti and other Goan chicken curries? Xacuti’s gravy is built from separately roasted coconut, whole spices, and onion-garlic, giving it a distinctly toasted, aromatic depth. Other Goan curries, like chicken cafreal or green chicken curry, use a fresh green masala instead.
Which chilies work best for an authentic xacuti flavor? A blend of byadgi and Kashmiri chilies is commonly used for good color without excessive heat, though used alone also works well.
Can I use packaged coconut instead of fresh? Yes — use unsweetened packaged coconut as a substitute for fresh grated coconut if that’s more convenient.
Can chicken xacuti be made with other meats? Yes. The same masala and method work well with lamb, fish (including baby shark, a traditional variation), or mushroom for a vegetarian version.
How long does chicken xacuti keep? Like most Indian curries, it stores well refrigerated for 2–3 days, and the flavor often deepens the next day.
Goan Chicken Xacuti
Ingredients
- ½ kg chicken
For marinating:
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- ½ tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1½ tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the gravy:
- 1 cup grated coconut
- 6 black peppercorns
- 8 cloves
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- ¼ inch nutmeg
- ½ inch cinnamon
- ½ inch tamarind
- 4 dry red chilies
- 4 garlic pods
- 2 medium onions julienned
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and marinate the chicken with the marination ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a kadai and roast grated coconut on low flame until browned. Remove and set aside.
- In the same kadai, add 1 teaspoon oil and roast the black peppercorns, red chilies, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon until fragrant. Remove and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil and sauté the julienned onion and garlic. Remove and set aside.
- Let all roasted ingredients cool completely.
- Grind the roasted ingredients with tamarind and ¾–1 cup water into a smooth, thin paste.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a kadai. Fry the finely chopped onion until pinkish.
- Add the marinated chicken and cook for 15 minutes.
- Pour the ground gravy over the chicken. Cover and cook on low flame until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Adjust salt to taste and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Video
Notes
Pin this image on Pinterest to refer to it later.
Note: This recipe was published on 19 Nov 2016 and is republished.
Do we use bedgi chillies or kashmiri or a combination of both. I try to make a blend of both chillies along with mapusa chillies for chicken vindaloo. Pls suggest for xacuti what is the best chillies option to maintain the authentic flavour
You can use bedgi or Kashmiri or combination of both too.
If using packaged coconut, do I use unsweetened?
Yes use un-sweetened