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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Goan "Chicken Xacuti"

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This is the new favorite chicken curry at my house. This curry has its origin from Goa, an Indian state, which is a former Portuguese colony with plenty of history and a rich cuisine.I have been looking for a perfect Xacuti (pronounced "sha-koo-ty") for ages and my search ended when my Facebook buddy Sadhana asked to check out her recipe. She is a food editor at BellaOnline and she has quite an impressive collection of recipes. You should definitely check her page and her recipes if you are keen on trying out exotic Indian dishes.For every recipe, Sadhana gives a little insight about its origin and other helpful hints. So you know what you are eating. Sweet, no?

As with all Indian recipes, this curry recipe involves a lot of steps but its well worth the effort. The good thing is that the powder and paste can be made in advance.
Ingredients:
  • 8 Chicken Thighs, skinned and cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 large Yellow Onion, finely sliced 
  • Marble-size Tamarind, juice extracted and pith discarded(To extract juice, just microwave the tamarind in little water. It will become soft and juice extraction is much easier)
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt for taste
For the Masala Powder:
  • 6-7 Dry red Chilies
  • 1 Small Cinnamon Stick
  • 1 Star Anise
  • 2-3 Cloves
  • 1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds
  • 1 Tbsp Fennel Seeds
  • 1-1/2 Tbsp Whole Peppercorns
  • 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Fenugreek Seeds
  • 1 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
  • 1 Tbsp White Sesame seeds
For the Xacuti Paste:
  • Masala Powder (above)
  • 5 large Garlic Cloves
  • 1/2 Cup fresh or frozen Grated Coconut
  • Little Water
 
Procedure:
  • Dry fry all the ingredients under "Masala Powder". Cool and grind into a fine powder.
  • In a tbsp of oil, saute the garlic for a few seconds.
  • Add the grated coconut and Turmeric powder and roast it on a low flame until the coconut turns slightly brown. Grind this along with the "masala powder" with little water to a fine but thick paste. This Xacuti paste can be made up-to a couple of days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
  • Add the remaining 3 tbsp of oil and fry the onions until they are brown
  • Place the cut chicken in the pan over the fried onions.
  • Add the Xacuti Paste and mix to incorporate.
  • Add about a cup of water and some salt. Stir and lid the pan. Let the chicken cook for about 10-12 minutes on a medium flame.
  • Add the tamarind juice and let it cook for another 10 minutes or so. Check for taste. Add more salt or ground pepper if needed.
  • Serve it with plain rice, roti or Ghee rice.
Enjoy!

For this week's "Black and White Wednesday" at Susan's The Well-Seasoned Cook::  Array of Glasses

Enjoy!
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19 comments:

  1. Very delicious and spicy Goan chicken curry. Looks amazing.

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

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  2. I remember the convrsation that time! Looks very yummy! I will have to make it soon!

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  3. THANKS so much CL for the lovely write up & shout out! So glad you enjoyed it :-)

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  4. Slurp,mouthwatering here..chicken xacuti tempts me a lot..

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  5. I want that chicken curry, looks super super yumm.

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  6. Looks awesome,traditional recipe..gravy is absolutely tempting

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  7. Looks very delicious, just like what my friends make. I could come over with the requisite uno (pronounced OOno) Torat(ToRAAt that's oven hot).

    Do check out my event and send me your entries.

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  8. That's a nice pic of the glasses - where was it?

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  9. Delicious-looking chicken. Spectacular BW photo.

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  10. @Sra: Dear SRA, It was at Corning Museum of Glass, NY.

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  11. Looks like a delicious curry. Yum! I like the use of tamarind in chicken curries.

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  12. that is a very different way to prepare chicken curry....love it ...
    happy to follow u..

    visit my space when u gettime.
    www.sharemyrecipe.blogspot.com

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  13. Corning Museum of Glass, eh? I want to go! Great shot, CL, for BWW. Thanks! Mad props for mad props. : )

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