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.
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 708kcal
Ingredients
- 4 Skinless Bone-In Chicken Thighs 400-450g Total
For the Spice Paste:
- 50 g Tamarind Pulp 40-50mm or 1½-2" Piece
- 3 Large Dried Kashmiri Chilli Peppers
- 50 ml Boiling Water 3 tablespoon (plus extra to soak the chilli peppers)
- 35 g Coconut Flakes ½ Cup
- 1 Blade of Mace
- 5 cm Cinnamon (Cassia) Bark 2" Piece
- 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
- 15 g Ginger ½ of a Thumb Sized Piece
For the Curry Sauce:
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 1 Green Finger Chilli Pepper
- 12-18 Curry Leaves
- 50 g Ghee 3 tablespoon
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 250 ml Water 1 Cup
- 20 g Fresh Coriander 1 Loosely Packed Cup
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.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 708kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 263mg | Sodium: 1067mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 21g
