Xacuti (Goan Coconut Chicken Curry)

Name: Xacuti (Goan Coconut Chicken Curry)
Ingredients: 2 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 small cinnamon stick; 10 black peppercorns; 5 dried red kashmiri chiles, broken in half and seeds shaken out; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon white poppy seeds; 2 onions, sliced; 1-inch piece of fresh root ginger, scraped and chopped; 7 garlic cloves, chopped; 4 tablespoon fresh grated coconut, or dried coconut soaked for 20 minutes in warm water; 1 3/4 pound chicken legs, skinned and halved at the joint; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 3 tomatoes, finely chopped; salt; a few shavings of nutmeg, to serve

The Daily Meal Contributors|Nov. 29, 2016 1:15 pm EST

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Pronounced “shakooti”, this Portuguese-inspired curry is also called “sagoti”, and can be made with shrimp or meat. It is a thick curry made as hot or mild as the cook likes it, and is a part of the local Christian cuisine all over Goa.Recipe excerpted from The Indian Cooking Course by Monisha Bharadwaj. Click here to purchase your own copy.

Servings

4

Ingredients

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small cinnamon stick
10 black peppercorns
5 dried red kashmiri chiles, broken in half and seeds shaken out
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon white poppy seeds
2 onions, sliced
1-inch piece of fresh root ginger, scraped and chopped
7 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tablespoon fresh grated coconut, or dried coconut soaked for 20 minutes in warm water
1 3/4 pound chicken legs, skinned and halved at the joint
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
salt
a few shavings of nutmeg, to serve

Directions

Heat half the oil in a skillet over high heat and add all the ingredients from the cinnamon to the poppy seeds. As soon as they start to sizzle, put in the onions and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until very soft and golden, then add the ginger and garlic and cook for a minute or so.
Stir in the coconut and cook until toasted and brown, stirring continuously to prevent it from scorching. Put this mixture into a blender and add enough water to just cover it. Blitz to a fine puree and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet (after giving it a wipe) over high heat, add the chicken pieces and cook until sealed and light brown. Sprinkle in salt to season and the turmeric and cook for a minute or so, then pour in the puree from the blender and rinse the blender out with a little water. Pour this in as well.
Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Adjust the seasoning the taste and serve hot with a few shavings of nutmeg.