Xacuti - Chicken with a Roasted Coconut Sauce

NOTE: Xacuti is a traditional Goan dish, pronounced sha-koo-tee, can also be made with rabbit, lamb or even vegetables. What distinguishes it from other dishes is that the seasonings are roasted before they are ground to a paste.

It is supposed to be so spicy that it exorcises all the sniffles and coughs in the rainy monsoon.

Make the spice paste: Heat a cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the coconut and stir and roast until it is medium-brown. Add the turmeric and stir once or twice; remove the coconut and set aside.

Put the chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, mace and nutmeg into the same hot pan. Stir until the spices are almost roasted, then add the poppy seeds.

Roast until the spices are lightly browned. Remove the spices from the pan and place in a clean coffee grinder, in several batches if necessary.

Put one tablespoon of oil into the same pan and heat over a medium -high heat. When it is hot, add the onion ginger and garlic. Saute until medium-brown, then remove from the pan.

Combine coconut, ground spices and onion mixture in a food processor or blender. Add 12 ounces of water or more as required and blend to a paste. Do this in more than one batch if necessary.

Place the chicken pieces in a single layer on a large plate. Sprinkle on all sides with 3/4 tablespoon salt and the lemon juice. Rub this in and set aside or 20 minutes.

Heat four tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the sliced onions. Stir and fry until it is browned, then add the spice paste; stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Put the chicken and all the accumulated juices into the pan with the remaining salt and 1/2 pint water; stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Add the curry leaves (if using) and serve.

Recipe Source: Madhur Jaffrey's Flavours Of India (with acknowledgements to Jude Sequeira)