A Goan curry of chicken or lamb in a complex spice paste of dried red chilies, poppy seeds, coconut, and over a dozen ground spices — rich, dark, and aromatic.
A spice mosaic
Xacuti (pronounced sha-koo-tee) is one of Goa’s most elaborate curries — typically requiring fifteen or more ingredients toasted, ground into a wet paste, and slow-cooked with the meat. The flavor isn’t sharp like a vindaloo; it’s deep, dark, and earthy, with complexity that emerges through long cooking.
The spice palette reflects Goa’s centuries as a Portuguese trading post — Indian ingredients filtered through Portuguese culinary contact. Many xacuti recipes pass through families with subtle variations; no two cooks make exactly the same dish.
Serving and pairing
Traditionally served with pao (a Goan-Portuguese bread roll) or steamed rice. Xacuti is one of the few dishes where Goan home cooks insist on freshly-ground spices the day of cooking — the volatile aromatics dissipate quickly. The result is among the more striking curries in the entire Indian repertoire.
Find more foods by letter
Xacuti starts with X and ends with I. Browse other foods along the same letter.
Foods that contain a letter from "Xacuti":