Chicken Xacuti(Goan chicken curry)

Goan Chicken Xacuti is one of the most famous goan chicken dishes..It is cooked in coconut gravy with a mixture of roasted aromatic spices.It is one of our favourite chicken dishes and if you have not tasted xacuti yet, it is high time you give this a try ! :-)

Ingredients -
Chicken marinade -
500gm chicken
green chillies (5-6)
ginger (1 big piece)
garlic (8-10 cloves)
fresh coriander leaves(2 tbspn)
salt
turmeric (haldi)powder
curd/lemon/vinegar
tomato (1 medium)


Coconut gravy -
onion (1 medium)
fresh coconut grated (1/2 cup)
garlic (5-6 cloves)
oil (1 tspn)


Spice mixture(masala) -
coriander seeds-dhaniya (1/2 tspn)
black pepper seeds-kali mirch (1/2 tsp)
cinnamon - dalchini(1 med stick)
cloves -laung (3-4)
dry red chillies (4-5)
cumin seeds -jeera (1/4 tspn)
fennel seeds - saunf (1/4 tspn)
poppy seeds -khuskhus (1/2 tspn)


Method -
Wash the chicken well.Apply salt and turmeric powder to it.
Make a fine paste of green chillies,ginger,garlic,coriander leaves.
Apply this paste to the chicken.Add either curd or vinegar or lemon juice to this marinated chicken and mix well.Let this marinate for atleast 2 hours.
To make the masala - dry roast - coriander,pepper,cinnamon,cloves.red chillies,cumin,fennel seeds and poppy seeds in a non-stick pan(without oil).
Grind all this to a fine paste.
Chop an onion lengthwise,and garlic cloves.
Put 1 tspn oil in a pan and add the onions,garlic and freshly grated coconut.Mix this on a low flame till a nice aroma comes.
Grind the coconut-onion-garlic to a fine paste.
Take 2 tspn oil in a non-stick pan.Add an onion finely chopped.After the onion sautes, add finely chopped tomato and salt.Add the marinated chicken to this and close the lid and let it cook.Do not add any water.After about 10-15 min, add the spice mix(masala) to the chicken and let it cook.
After some time add the coconut gravy to this and let it cook.
Finally garnish the chicken xacuti with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve it with onions and lemon wedges.It goes well with slice bread or goan pav :-)