Chicken Xacuti Recipe – Goan Dish

Ingredients:

• Chicken without skin, cut into 12 pieces ? 800Gms
• Oil – 4 tablespoons
• Coconut, scraped – 1 cup
• Garlic – 4-6 cloves
• Whole dry red chillies, broken – 4
• Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander seeds – 1 1/2 tablespoons
• Black peppercorns – 10
• Fennel seeds (saunf) – 1 teaspoon
• Carom seeds (ajwain) – 1 teaspoon
• Poppy seeds (khuskhus/) – 2 tablespoon
• Cloves – 6
• Cinnamon – 2 inch stick
• Star anise – 4
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Onions, chopped – 2 medium
• Salt to taste
• Tamarind pulp – 1 tablespoon
• Nutmeg, grated – 1/4 teaspoon

Method:

• Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan and lightly brown coconut and transfer into a mixer jar.
• Add garlic cloves.
• Dry roast red chillies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, carom seeds, poppy seeds, cloves, cinnamon and star anise till fragrant.
• Add all to the coconut in the jar. Add turmeric powder and a little water and grind to a smooth paste.
• Heat the remaining oil in a deep pan and saut? onions till well browned.
• Add chicken and saut? on high heat for two to three minutes.
• Add salt and mix.
• Add the masala paste and stir well.
• Add two cups of water and stir.
• Add tamarind pulp and mix.
• Grate some nutmeg (about ? teaspoon) and add.
• When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for about thirty minutes or till the chicken is done.
• Serve hot with boiled red rice, paav bun or with rotis.