There are gaps in every food education. Mine had a big one marked 'Goa' — not because I never went, but because when I finally made it to India, I was still deep in an aloo gobi phase. A Delhi butcher's shop had seen to that. The sight of a carcass hanging in forty-degree heat had quietly ended my interest in meat for the rest of the trip.

So Xacuti came to me not on a beach in Goa with a cold Kingfisher but years later via a rabbit hole. I stumbled across a reference to it, started reading, and found myself making the paste first — a proper deep-coloured, roasted spice blend that smells extraordinary the moment it hits the oil. A few days later I cooked the chicken. It was worth the wait, however roundabout the route.

Goan Xacuti chicken — a curry discovered not in Goa but via a rabbit hole. Worth every step.

This Goan xacuti chicken uses chicken legs cut into thighs and drumsticks, marinated briefly in salt and turmeric before browning in the paste. Nutmeg and tamarind go in at the end — a combination that sounds unlikely and tastes exactly right.

Goan Xacuti Chicken Recipe

Ingredients — serves 2

2 chicken legs, cut into thighs and drumsticks

½ tsp turmeric

Salt

1 medium red onion, sliced

2+ tbsp homemade Xacuti paste

½ tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp tamarind paste

Vegetable oil

Water

Method

Marinate the chicken pieces in salt and turmeric for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a karahi, wok, or frying pan and fry the onion for several minutes until it starts to colour.

Add two or more tablespoons of Xacuti paste, stir, and fry for a further five minutes.

Add the chicken pieces, brown them lightly, coat well in the paste, and fry for another five minutes.

Add a glass of water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender, adding a little more water if needed.

Add the nutmeg and tamarind paste and give everything a final five minutes.

Serve with rice.

This recipe is part of the Curry Recipes — The Flexible Chef's Complete Collection — over 60 curry recipes, spice blends, pastes, and curry-adjacent dishes. Explore the full collection.

This recipe is also part of the Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas — The Flexible Chef's Complete Collection — every chicken recipe from Casa Adora and the road. Explore the full collection.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef.