Chicken Xacuti

Goa is the place to be!! The more you visit the place the more you fall in love with it. I have been there twice and am planning more in the near future. The sea, the people, the air, the hospitality…one can go on and on about Goa. And of course not to forget the food. On our last trip we hogged and hogged on the food, especially sea food. I fell in love with Bebinka. That is one thing I have to learn to make.
Chicken Xacuti is a Goan dish which utilizes a variety of spices. And why not? The whole western coast is a haven for spice growing. After all that is what the Portuguese were also after. A walk down the spice farm is both interesting and informative. You can see the spices in their raw form and the hostess also tells you about the various medicinal properties. And the local dishes make good use of the spices in the cuisine.
The Chicken Xacuti is also a medley of spices. Chilles, cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, mace, star anise, nutmeg..you name it and the spice is there in the dish. Once you dry roast the spices then you realise how fragrant they are and you can imagine what an explosion of flavour it is going to be in your mouth.


Ingredients

1 chicken, cut into curry pieces
1 bay leaf
2 dry red chillies
3 onions, chopped fine
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Chopped green coriander to garnish

For the Xacuti paste
1 cup grated coconut (preferably fresh)
4 dry red chilles
3 tbsp khus khus/poppy seeds)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
6 peppercorns
4 cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp carom seeds
Small piece of cinnamon
3 star anise
Small piece of mace
¼ tsp nutmeg powder

To add while grinding
7 garlic pods
1” ginger, chopped
1 tbsp tamarind paste

Dry roast the coconut. Keep aside. Dry roast the Xacuti masala ingredients. Now put all the masala ingredients, roasted coconut, ginger, garlic and tamarind paste in a mixie, add a little water and make a thick paste. Heat some oil. Add the bay leaf and red chillies. Add the chopped onions and cook till they turn translucent. Add the Xacuti paste and cook till the oil starts leaving the sides. Add salt and turmeric powder. Add the chicken and cook on high flame for 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer till gravy thickens and the chicken is cooked. Garnish with chopped dhania.