Chicken Xacuti (Goan Roasted Coconut and Spice Curry)
چکن شاکوتی (گوا کا بھنے ناریل اور مصالحوں والا سالن)
Xacuti (pronounced *sha-koo-tee*) is Goa's most complex curry: chicken cooked in a dark brown gravy made from grated coconut roasted until deep golden, then ground with a long list of roasted spices including star anise, poppy seeds, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and black pepper. It's richer and more aromatic than everyday Goan fish curry, and it's made for weddings, feasts and Sunday lunches. Roasting the coconut slowly is the secret.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 10 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Cook: 45 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Marinate the chicken with the turmeric, salt and ginger-garlic paste for 30 minutes.
In a dry karahi on low heat, roast the coconut, stirring constantly, for 8–10 minutes until deep golden brown and fragrant. Tip out.
In the same pan, dry-roast the chillies, coriander, cumin, fennel, pepper, poppy seeds, star anise, cinnamon and cloves for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Grind with the roasted coconut and 1 cup water to a smooth, dark paste.
Heat the oil and fry the onions for 8 minutes until golden brown. Add the xacuti paste and fry for 5 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and the oil separates.
Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes. Add the water and tamarind, cover and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is tender and the gravy is thick. Finish with coriander.
Serve with rice, poi bread or parotta.
Kitchen notes
Roast the coconut slowly and keep stirring; it goes from golden to burnt very quickly.
Poppy seeds (khaskhas) thicken the gravy; cashews are a good substitute.
A pinch of grated nutmeg at the end is a traditional touch.
Goa’s festive curry
Xacuti is cooked across Goa by both Hindu and Catholic families, and it’s one of the dishes that shows how many spices passed through Goa’s ports over the centuries. Star anise, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg arrived with traders, and Goan cooks combined them with local coconut and chillies.
Roasted coconut
Unlike the fresh coconut in Goan fish curry, the coconut in xacuti is dry-roasted until it’s deep golden brown. This gives the gravy its dark colour and a nutty, almost caramel depth. Patience is everything: low heat, constant stirring.
So many spices
The spice list looks long, but each one is roasted briefly and ground together, so the work is quick. Poppy seeds thicken the gravy; star anise and fennel add a sweet, anise warmth; black pepper gives gentle heat.
Serving
Serve with steamed rice or Goan poi bread, or with Malabar parotta. Cool down afterwards with sol kadhi or kokum sharbat.
Questions people ask
Is xacuti very spicy?
It's warm and aromatic rather than fiery. The Kashmiri chillies add colour; the heat comes mainly from black pepper.
Can I make it with lamb?
Yes. Lamb xacuti is equally popular; simmer the meat for 1–1½ hours.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 38 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
