Chicken xacuti is a delicious and heavily spiced Goan curry that combines coconut, tamarind, dried Kashmiri chillies and white poppy seeds.
This is not a quick curry, and if you can marinate the chicken overnight it tastes even better, there is a long old ingredient list, but do not be put off, cooking this is easy and it is well worth the effort!
Goan Chicken Curry
My love of a good curry is hardly hidden under a bushel, and my latest offering is a glorious Goan chicken curry called Xacuti.
Recipes with West of India influences are not new here, whether it is my "Anglo Indian" take on pork Vindaloo, my Goan mackerel curry, or a more traditional chicken cafreal recipe, I love them.
Like all of those dishes, this recipe has a complex flavour base with a long list of ingredients, but it is still easy to make!
Yes, it creates a fair bit of washing up, but there are no difficult skills to learn, and cooking the dish can be done at your own pace.
It all begins with a long list of toasted whole spices and a marinade made from dried Kashmiri chilli peppers, tamarind, garlic and ginger.
Then all you have to do is fry off some onions and the chicken in loads of ghee, add the marinade and a few spices, and add a splash of water. Wait for your chicken to be cooked, and bosh, you have a stonking curry that tastes incredible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use boneless chicken thighs?
Yes, this dish will taste just fine with boneless chicken, the flavour of chicken is a little more muted.
It is also a little easier to overcook the chicken, so you may want to cook it for 5-7 minutes less.
Can I use chicken breast?
In theory, yes, but the sauce does not get to cook out enough.
If I were using chicken breast, I would cook the xacuti sauce without browning the chicken, for around 20 minutes. Then poach the marinated breasts in the sauce.
Can I use premade tamarind paste?
Yes, however, they are often concentrated at different levels depending on the brand. I would add 2-3 teaspoons in the spice paste (you may need to add more water), then taste the sauce and add more later if required.
Is there a substitute for tamarind?
You can replace the sour flavour of tamarind with white vinegar, but the earthy flavours cannot be replicated.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this curry will sit in the fridge for 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container. Reheat it in a pan until the chicken is piping hot.
If you are preparing this in advance, do not add the coriander until you are ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
I've served my chicken xacuti curry with some simply cooked white rice and loads of coriander in these pictures.
There is plenty of flavour in that sharp sauce (and there is plenty of it) to allow you to go really easy with the rice side for this dish.
If you want to put in a little more effort, a good pilau rice is always good with a curry.
Potato side dishes are often overlooked as a side for curries, but they are great. They are particularly good here, and it is not unheard of to cook potatoes in the xacuti sauce.
I would opt for either some aloo jeera (cumin potatoes) or aloo methi (fenugreek potatoes).
My usual suggestion of a tandoori-style naan bread unusually falls to the end of the list for this dish. They work fine and there is plenty of sauce to mop up, but they are not so great with dishes where meat is served on the bone.
Equipment Used
I only name-check specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments sections of the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Mini blender.
- Mixing bowls/prep bowls of varying sizes.
- Small fine mesh sieve.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Kitchen tongs.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Goan Chicken Xacuti Curry Recipe
The long ingredient list for this Goan chicken xacuti recipe may seem intimidating at first, but most of the ingredients will be in the store cupboard of any cook that's fond of making homemade curry... it's also pretty easy, if time-consuming to make and delivers a meal with perfectly balanced yet complex flavours.
Ingredients
- 4 (400-450g Total) Skinless Chicken Thighs
For the Spice Paste:
- 50g (40-50mm or 1½-2") Piece of Tamarind Pulp
- 3 Large Dried Kashmiri Chilli Peppers
- 50ml (3 Tbsp) Boiling Water plus extra to soak the chilli peppers
- 35g (½ Cup) Coconut Flakes
- 1 Blade of Mace
- 5cm (2") Piece Cinnamon (Cassia) Bark
- 3 Cloves
- 1 tablespoon White Poppy Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Black Sesame Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Ajwain Seeds
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 15g (Half of a Thumb Sized Piece) Ginger
For the Curry Sauce:
- 1 Medium (150g) Onion
- 1 Green Finger Chilli Pepper
- 12-18 Curry Leaves
- 50g (3 Tbsp) Ghee
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 250ml (1 Cup) Water
- 20g (1 Loosely Packed Cup) Fresh Coriander
Instructions
- Place the tamarind pulp in a small mixing bowl, pour over 50ml (3tbsp) of boiling water, give it a little mash and allow it to steep for 15 minutes, then push it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Whilst the tamarind is steeping, pour 125ml (½ cup) of boiling water over the dried chilli peppers and allow them to steep for 15 minutes.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the coconut flakes, mace, cinnamon bark, cloves, poppy seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, black pepper, sesame seeds and ajwain seeds, then toast for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and transfer to a mini blender.
- Peel and add the garlic cloves to the blender.
- Peel, roughly chop and add the ginger to the blender.
- Remove the chilli peppers from the water, cut off the stem and add them to the blender (keep the water). You can remove the seeds if you want to reduce the heat a little.
- Add the tamarind pulp to the blender and blitz to a smooth paste, adding enough of the water you used to soak the chillies to form a slightly coarse paste.
- Pour the spice paste over the chicken and allow it to sit for as long as possible (up to 24 hours). You can cook this straightaway if you like, but marinating the chicken results in the best flavour.
- Top and tail the onion, cut it in half, peel it and then cut it into 5mm (just under ½") thick strips, cutting from top to tail rather than across the onion.
- Slit the green chilli pepper along the length, do not cut it all the way through, leave the stem in place to hold it together.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the ghee, once the ghee has melted add the onion and green chilli peppers and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the onions begin to become golden at the edges.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the curry leaves, and stir until they become fragrant, this should take 30-60 seconds.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and add them to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.
- Sprinkle over the chilli powder, turmeric, nutmeg and salt, then cook for 30-60 seconds, tossing to coat.
- Pour over the marinade and water, mix to combine, reduce the heat to low and cook for 35-40 minutes.
- Whilst the chicken is cooking, finely chop the coriander, just before serving, stir most of the coriander through the curry, saving a little for garnish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 708Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 263mgSodium: 1067mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 10gSugar: 21gProtein: 49g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.