CHICKEN XACUTI

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• Chicken – 1.5 kilograms
• Ginger Garlic paste – 2 tablespoons
• Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
• Palm Vinegar – 3 tablespoons
• Tomato – 3, large chopped small
• Onion – 3, chopped tiny
• Water – 3 cups (depending on the consistency you like)
• Oil – 2 tablespoons
• Green chillies – 2 (reduce or skip entirely if you need to tone down the spice level)

For the Masala paste: Separately roast each of the following ingredients and grind them all, together, to a smooth paste. Make sure that the coconut and onions are well roasted to a deep brown and the spices roasted until fragrant.

• Small Onion – 1 sliced
• Dry red chillies – 10 chillies
• Cinnamon – 4 nos, 1″ sticks
• Star anise – ½ pod
• Cloves – 1½ teaspoon
• Nutmeg – no more than ½ nut
• Black Peppercorns – 1 heaping teaspoon
• Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon
• Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
• Mace – 1½ blade
• Poppy seeds – 2 tsp
• Grated Coconut – 3-4 cups

Method:

• Marinate the chicken with turmeric, ginger garlic paste, salt, palm vinegar/ lime/tamarind (use 1 tablespoon of any of these and save the rest to add to the gravy). Set aside for at least 2 hours.
• To a deep casserole with a well-fitting lid, add oil. To this, add chopped onion, fry until light brown.
• Add the tomato, fry for a minute or two.
• Slide in the marinated chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring all along.
• With the heat set high, add the masala paste to the chicken in the casserole. Cook the chicken, mixing well at intervals, for about 15-20 minutes.
• Add the water and the rest of the tamarind pulp/vinegar. Cover and continue cooking the chicken for an additional 25-30 minutes over low heat until the chicken is well done.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and green chillies
• Serve with lime wedges and pão/undo/bread.

Notes:

• Instead of 3 tablespoons of palm vinegar, you can use the juice of 1 lime or 1-2 tablespoons of tamarind pulp.