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Best Xacuti in London
“A sauce born from fishermen's ingenuity: toasted coconut, white poppy seeds, and layered spices that cling to whatever protein meets the bowl.”
What the real thing tastes like
Xacuti (Konkani: शागोती Shāgōtī) is a curry prepared in Goa, India, with complex spicing, including white poppy seeds, sliced onions, toasted grated coconut, and large dried red chillies. It is usually prepared with crabs, chicken, lamb, or beef. It is also known as chacuti in Portuguese. Xacuti, or shagoti as it is commonly known in Goa, is supposed to have its origin in Harmal village (now Arambol) of Pernem taluka, Goa. Historically, local fishermen would prepare a sauce or gravy containing spices such as black peppercorns, chillies, turmeric, onions, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Added to this would be lightly toasted coconut and white poppy seeds. This sauce would then be served with freshly caught fish or chicken.
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Xacuti arrives as a study in restraint and depth — a Goan curry that lets toasted coconut and white poppy seeds build a creamy base while dried red chillies and warm spices (black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) move underneath. Born in Harmal village, this dish carries the pragmatism of fishermen who layered what they had into something that clung to fresh catch. Whether the protein is crab, chicken, or lamb, the spicing stays complex without overshadowing — each spoonful tastes like it took patience to build.
Order it here when it has
- complex spicing
- versatile protein pairing
- historical Goan roots
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