Chacuti

Goan coconut-spice curry with roasted masalas

Prep Time 30 min
Cook Time 30 min
Serving Size 4
Recipe Type

Chacuti is a classic Goan curry made with roasted whole spices and coconut, resulting in an aromatic, dry-bodied gravy with deep flavour. Traditionally prepared for Sundays and feasts, it is cooked across Goan communities with chicken, meat, or vegetables. Carried to Mozambique by Goan migrants, the dish found a natural home along the African coast and became part of local food culture. Rooted in Goa, yet shaped by movement, Chacuti is a curry that travelled—and stayed.

Ingredients

Chicken – 500 grams
Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
Salt – 1 to 2 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tablespoons

For the masala paste:

Coconut (grated or cut into small pieces) – half of a medium sized
Dried red kashmiri chillies – 4 numbers
Coriander seeds – 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder – 1 ½ teaspoon
Poppy seeds – 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon – 2 small sticks
Cloves – 10
Black pepperpods – 10
Cardamom pods – 5
Nutmeg – ½
Chopped onion – 1
Green chillies – 2
For the curry:
Chopped onion – 1
Chopped tomato – 1
Salt – 1to2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Extra chopped onion and coriander to garnish

Method

Roast all the spices and grated coconut till they start to toast and turn aromatic. Set it aside to cool. In the same pan, add a little oil, chopped onion and green chillies and saute till the chillies blister and the onions turn golden brown. Set aside to cool.
While the mixture cools, marinate your chicken with salt, turmeric, and ginger garlic paste.
Once the mixtures have cooled, add all of it to a blender with 2 teaspoons of turmeric and some water and grind it into a paste. You might have to keep scraping down the sides and adding more water to grind it into a smooth paste.
In your pot, add some oil and chopped onion, cook for two minutes till it turns golden brown and add chopped tomato. Cook for a couple of minutes till it breaks down and then add in your marinated chicken. Cook for two minutes mixing it all and add a cup or two of water. Cover and let it cool for 5 minutes.
After 5 or 6 minutes, add in the masala paste along with some more water, another cup or two mix well and let this cool for a few minutes. Add salt to taste, 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder and cover and let it cook for 20 more minutes. Cook this entire curry for a total of 30 minutes so the chicken on the bone softens and cooks well also giving the masala to cook and thicken slightly.
If the gravy is too watery, cook it for a few more minutes. It shouldn’t be neither thick nor too runny. A balance between the both. Garnish with chopped onions and coriander.

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