Ingredients :
· 1 kg Chicken pieces
· 8 to 10 dry Kashmiri Chillies (remove stalks & deseed)
· 3 large Onions (chopped)
· 4 med. Potatoes (halved)
· 3 med. Tomatoes (pureed)
· 1 tsp Cumin seeds
· ½ tsp. Mustard seeds
· 4 tbsps. Coriander seeds
· 20 Peppercorns
· ¼ piece Nutmeg
· 3 tbsps. Poppy seeds (khuskhus)
· 2 tbsps. Til seeds
· ¼ tsp. Aniseed (Sauf)
· 1 Star Anise
· 1 tsp. Turmeric pwd.
· 5 Green Elaichi
· ¼ tsp. Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
· 2” Cinnamon Sticks
· 8 Cloves
· 10 flakes fresh Garlic
· 1”fresh Ginger
· 3 fresh Green Chillies
· 3 tbps. Tamarind paste or pulp
· ½ Coconut (scraped) + ¼ coconut cut into pieces
· 1 tsp. Sugar
· 4 tbsps. Vegetable Oil
· Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
Method :
Wash the chicken pieces, apply salt & keep aside.
On a tawa or pan, toast the kashmiri chillies, cumin, coriander seeds, mustard, nutmeg, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, khuskhus, til, methi seeds, sauf, elaichi, star anise, fresh or dry grated coconut, coconut pieces, 2 of the onions in a little oil each separately.
Toast well but do not burn.
Keep the toasted coconut pieces aside separately till required.
Grind the remaining toasted spices alongwith ginger, garlic, green chillies & turmeric to a fine paste with water.
Apply half of the masala paste to the chicken pieces, mix well & let it marinate for about 30 mins.
Take a large pot or pan & heat oil on med. heat.
Fry one chopped onion till light golden.
Add the marinated chicken & saute well for about 5 mins.
Add the remaining masala paste, saute & fry the chicken along with the masala well.
Add sufficient water to the chicken to form a gravy.
Rinse the halved potatoes in water & add to the chicken gravy.
Adjust salt to taste.
Let the chicken come to a boil & then reduce heat & let it cook covered for about 5 mins.
Now add the tamarind pulp & tomato puree & mix well.
Let it simmer till the chicken & potatoes are cooked till tender & gravy is sufficiently thick.
Make sure it is not too thick.
Garnish with reserved coconut pieces & coriander leaves.
Let the gravy settle for a few minutes for the flavours to meld.
Serve hot with steamed rice, bread or sannas.
Tip :
* Chicken Xacuti tastes better if eaten the next day.
* Do not over cook the chicken.
* Make sure you toast the coconut to a golden brown.
* Well toasted spices give out a fragrant aroma.
* You can exclude potatoes if you wish but I prefer with potatoes.
* Use only Kashmiri Chillies.
* Try & use fresh tamarind pulp.
* Marinating chicken overnight brings out the flavours better.
