Goan "Chicken Xacuti"

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!