Goan Mushroom Xacuti Recipe

Mushroom Xacuti is a classic Goan dish in which mushrooms are cooked in a gravy made by using coconut and spicy xacuti masala. This dish is a great vegetarian alternative to the popular chicken xacuti. The recipe is quick and easy to make and goes well with both steamed rice or any flat bread like chapati or naan. Mushroon Xacuti is best cooked with wild mushrooms and is a preferred dinner dish at every Goan Kitchen. I have used button mushrooms in this recipe. Xacuti (Shakuti) masala is a blend of spices which has all the distinctive Goan flavors including fresh coconut, whole spices like dried red chilies, pepper corn ,cloves , coconut oil and kokum .
                

Goa is a tiny emerald land on the west coast of India. Well known as a tourist paradise, Goa is famous for its white sand beaches, striking landscape , coconut grooves, bustling nightlife ,cultural diversity and last but certainly not the least for its mouthwatering FOOD. Goan Cuisine is incredibly rich and delicious. It is influenced by its Hindu origins, the four hundred years of Portuguese colonisation and the Muslim rule that preceded the Portuguese. Rice, coconut milk and fish , along with local spices , are the basic ingredients of Goan cuisine. Other main ingredients widely used in this cuisine are kokum , tamarind , red Goan chilies and cashews. Source: Wikipedia

 

But why am i telling so much about Goan Cuisne ? Well the Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge facebook group decided to travel to Goa for February month's challenge . My partner for the month was Sharanya Palanisshami who blogs at Sara's Tasty Buds. (Do not forget to check out her wonderful blog) . She gave me Mushrooms and Coriander seeds as my 2 secret ingredients and i cooked this delicious Mushroom Xacuti for the challenge. I roughly followed the recipe from here. Mushrooms are my family favourite and i almost cook them once every week . The Goan Mushroom Xacuti made for a hearty lunch for us along with Jeera Rice and Sol Kadhi ( a digestive cooler from Goan Cuisine).

                                                    

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For Xacuti Masala:

• 1/2 cup fresh coconut, scraped
• 1 tablespoon coriander Seeds
• 2-3 dry red chilies
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 3-4 black pepper corns
• 2-3 dried kokum pieces
• 2-3 clove
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon oil

Other Ingredients:

• 20 Button mushroom
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chilly powder( Use kashmiri chilly powder for vibrant color)
• Salt to taste
• 3-4 sprig fresh coriander leaves , finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil

Method:

1. To begin with the Goan Mushroom Xacuti recipe , first wash the mushrooms to remove the dirt and wipe them with a clean kitchen cloth. Chop them into slices and keep aside.

                            

2. Now we will make the Xacuti masala , for that in a wok heat 1 tablespoon oil and stir fry the onion for 1-2 minutes. Next add the whole spices ( coriander seeds , red chilies, cloves and black pepper corn ). Fry the spices on low heat until aromatic.

3. Now add the scrapped coconut and roast it for 2-3 minutes or until it is light brown in color. Take care not to burn the spices or coconut.  Lastly add turmeric powder, kokum and garam masala and stir fry the masala ingredients for another 1 minute so that all the ingredients blend well. Put off the flame . Allow the masala to cool down completely. Now grind it to a fine paste adding very little water.

4. In the same pan , add remaining 2 tablespoon oil . Add the onions and saute until translucent. Now add the tomatoes and stir fry for 1 minute or so followed by the sliced mushrooms.

5. Stir fry the mushroom for 4-5 minutes on medium heat . Now add the prepared Xacuti paste and mix well. Add red chili powder and cook the mushrooms in the masala for another 2-3 minutes. Add about 1/2 - 1 cup of water as per the desired consistency of the gravy. Season the gravy with salt and simmer for 7-10 minutes.

6. Lastly garnish the gravy with finely chopped coriander leaves and put off the flame. Serve the delicious Goan Mushroom Xacuti with rice or chapati and enjoy the flavors of Goa with your loved ones !

I hope you would love to try out this flavorful mushroom curry from the Goan cuisine for yourself, if you do so, please feel free to share your feedback with us. Follow me on #Facebook , #Instagram , #Twitter and #Google+ for more recipes and new updates. 

For more Mushroom recipes, do check the following post from my blog

• Mushroom Masala

                                               

• Matar Mushroom

                                  

• Mushroom Pulao