Chicken Xacuti

Phew!! Back with a non-veg dish after such a long time, Guess it's just my laziness that I haven't put up a chicken dish.  This is a famous Goan dish.  I had done it long time back and which is why, I do not have a picture of it.  Actually, that was also one of  reasons I was delaying putting this post.  Then, I thought why not post it now and I can update the pictures later.  As I am sure a few dear ones will be wondering where have I disappeared when it comes to non-veg recipes.  Getting to the recipe.

This dish has coconut and poppy seeds and many other spices, which give this dish a wonderful taste.  Like I mentioned earlier, I do not eat but I do get feedback from those who eat.  So getting back to the dish.  It might look like a tedious or complicated process, but it really isn't that tedious and the outcome of the dish makes you forget that so much went into the preparation of this lovely dish.  Asking around, I got this recipe and here's how I prepared the dish.

Serves: 4-5
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 45 minutes-1 hour

Ingredients:

Step 1 - For the Marinade:

Coriander leaves	1/2 bunch
Garlic	8 cloves
Ginger	3 pieces if 1 inch each
Green chillies	4-5 nos

Step 2 - To Marinate the Chicken:

Chicken	800 gms cut into small pieces
Turmeric powder	1 tsp
Prepared paste	From step 1
Salt	2 tsp

For Paste 1:

Oil	1 tsp
Onions	2 medium (sliced)
Ginger	1 tsp (finely chopped)
Garlic	8 cloves
Green chillies	2 nos
Grated coconut	1 no

For Paste 2:

Cinnamon	2 pieces of 1 inch each
Cardamom	3 pods/nos
Aniseed	1 tsp
Pepper	1 tsp
Poppy seeds (khus khus)	1 tbsp
Coriander seeds	1 tbsp
Star anise	2 piece
Nutmeg	1/2 piece
Red chillies (Kashmiri)	8-10

For The Main Dish:

Oil	1 tsp
Onions	2 big (sliced)
Green chillies	2 (slit)
Marinated chicken
Prepared xacuti masala
Water	To cook the chicken

 
Method:
1.       Grind all the ingredients given under table step 1.
2.       Marinate the chicken with turmeric powder, salt and the prepared paste and keep it aside.
3.       Heat oil in a pan and saute all the ingredients given under table, paste 1 for 5-7 minutes.
4.       Dry roast all the ingredients separately given under table, paste 2.
5.       Grind together the ingredients which were sauteed and dry roasted. (Paste 1 and Paste 2 ingredients to be ground together).  This is the Xacuti paste.
6.       To prepare the final dish, heat oil in a pan and add the onions, green chillies, marinated chicken and the prepared Xacuti paste.  Mix well and add enough water to cook the chicken.  Cook for 15-20 minutes or till the chicken is cooked and tender.
7.       Serve hot with rice, preferably goan rice or with breads.

NOTES:

1.       Using Kashmiri red chillies will give it colour.  The heat in the dish comes from the green chillies.
2.       Every house-hold might have their variations in making this dish.  This is how I made it, making variations and alterations. 
3.       Please do adjust the salt according to your preference.
4.       Nutmeg is a strong spice, so I have used only 1/2 a piece.