Chicken Xacuti

The origins of xacuti

Xacuti belongs to Goa, and the x is the old Portuguese-era way of writing the sh sound, so you may also see it spelled shagoti or sagoti in Konkani and Marathi homes. It is cooked for family meals and for feast days, among Hindu and Catholic Goans alike, with chicken, mutton or vegetables depending on the household. Spice blends vary from house to house and nobody has one correct list. The version here is a chicken xacuti with roasted coconut, a common style, and it leaves out the harder-to-find stone flower that some cooks use.

Roasting is the technique

Most of the flavour is made before the chicken goes near the heat. Each group of ingredients cooks at a different rate, which is why they go into the pan in turn. The seeds and bark need a few minutes, the poppy seeds about one, and the coconut needs patience on low heat because it holds moisture and then colours quickly at the end. Stay by the pan and keep stirring. When the coconut looks like strong tea and smells like a toasted biscuit, it is done.

A proper fine grind matters as well. Xacuti should be smooth and slightly thick, not gritty. Grind in two rounds if your mixer jar is small, adding the water little by little, and let the blade run longer than you think it needs. If you enjoy this roasted-coconut style, it is worth cooking alongside a sour, red Goan fish curry, which uses raw coconut and shows how different the same ingredient can taste.

Common faults and how to rescue them

Bitter gravy nearly always means something burned during the roast, most often the coconut or the coriander seed. There is no complete fix once it is ground, but a spoon of jaggery, a little extra tamarind and a few tablespoons of plain coconut paste will calm a mild case. If the coconut in the pan smells acrid or shows black specks, throw it out and start again. A cup of coconut costs less than a whole pot of chicken.

A gravy that tastes raw and floury has been under-fried. Give the masala its full 5 minutes in step seven, and if you missed that, uncover the finished curry and let it bubble on medium for 5 minutes, stirring. Thin gravy reduces the same way. Too thick is easier still: add hot water a few spoons at a time.

Swaps and a lighter version

Tamarind can be replaced with 2 or 3 kokum petals, which many Goan cooks prefer, or a squeeze of lemon at the end. Desiccated coconut works if fresh is out of reach, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes first, though it browns faster so watch it closely. Boneless thigh cooks in about 15 minutes and stays juicy, whereas breast dries out quickly in this much heat. To lighten the dish, cut the coconut to 3/4 cup and the oil to 2 tablespoons. The gravy is a little thinner and still tastes like xacuti. For a plainer weeknight pot with no coconut at all, try this site's everyday chicken curry. Portion thinking for protein-heavy meals is part of NNWA's sports nutrition course.

Rice, poee and other partners

Goa eats this with steamed rice, or with poee, the local wheat-bran bread, and sannas, the soft steamed rice cakes. Any soft pav will also do the job of mopping up the gravy. A sharp, cooling side balances it well: sliced onion with lemon, or a glass of sol kadhi after the meal, which comes from the same stretch of coast.

Storing and reheating

The gravy tastes better on the second day, once the spices have settled. Cool it within 2 hours, and refrigerate it covered for up to 3 days. It also freezes well for a month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, add a splash of water and reheat on low, then let it reach a full simmer for a few minutes so the chicken is hot through. Reheat only the amount you plan to eat rather than warming the whole pot several times.

The dry masala can be made in advance too. Roast and grind only the spices without the coconut, keep them in a sealed jar for a month, and roast fresh coconut and onion on the day. It takes half the effort out of a weeknight xacuti and the taste holds up well.