Chicken Xacuti

Ingredients

• 1kg chicken on the bone, jointed
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp salt
• 150g fresh coconut, grated
• 2 tbsp white poppy seeds
• 12 dried Kashmiri red chillies
• 4 hot dried red chillies
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 8 black peppercorns
• 6 cloves
• 1 x 5cm cinnamon stick
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 1 star anise
• 1/4 whole nutmeg, grated
• 1 blade of mace
• 5 tbsp oil
• 3 onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
• 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
• 400ml hot water
• 150ml water, for grinding
• 3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

Before you cook

• Rub the chicken with the turmeric and 1 teaspoon of the salt and leave it for 30 minutes.
• Grate the coconut.
• Break the stems off the dried chillies and shake out the seeds.

Steps

1. Set a dry heavy pan over medium-low heat and add the grated coconut.
2. Roast the coconut for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns an even deep brown, because that colour is the whole point of xacuti.
3. Tip the coconut onto a plate to stop it cooking further.
4. Dry roast the poppy seeds, dried chillies, coriander, cumin, fennel, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, nutmeg and mace in the same pan for 2 minutes until fragrant.
5. Tip the spices onto the plate with the coconut and let everything cool completely.
6. Grind the cooled coconut and spices with 150ml water into as smooth a paste as your blender will manage.
7. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the sliced onions for 12 minutes until dark golden.
8. Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
9. Lift out half the fried onion and blend it into the coconut paste.
10. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot and turn the heat to high.
11. Brown the chicken pieces for 6 minutes, turning them so they colour all over.
12. Lower the heat, add the ground masala, and fry for 8 minutes until the oil separates and the paste darkens.
13. Pour in 400ml hot water with the tamarind and the remaining salt.
14. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the gravy thickens enough to coat a spoon.
15. Taste for salt and sourness, scatter with coriander, and serve with pav or steamed rice.