Narciso’s Lamb Xacuti

Grandad’s Xacuti was legendary—a masterpiece no one ever quite managed to duplicate, despite his best efforts to share the secret. Even when I stood right beside him, meticulously recording every pinch, dash, and handful as he cooked, my own attempt fell just short of his magic. While I’ve written down his official recipe here, anyone who ever sat at Narciso’s table knows the true secret remains an ongoing quest. If you manage to crack the code and find that missing piece, be sure to let us know!

Xacuti Spice Masala Paste
for 2 - 2.5kg meat (Chicken, Lamb, Beef)
Dry Ingredients

30 red chillies (mixture of Kashmiri Chillies for colour, Sankeshwari or Byadagi (Bedgi) for spice

3 tbsp coriander seeds

1 level tbsp fenugreek seeds (methi)

1 level tbsp sesame seeds

1 level tbsp dried mace

2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

12 green cardamons

5-6 black cardamons

10 whole cloves

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

10-20 black peppercorns

2 inches cinnamon stick

1 tbsp star anise

1tbsp tefla (tirpal / Sichuan pepper) (or substitute with grated lemon rind)

1 tsp black cumin seeds (shahi jeera)

2 tsp black mustard seeds
Wet Ingredients

1 small onion, sliced

1-2 inches fresh ginger

1 whole bulb garlic, peeled

50gm fresh coconut (or 2-3 tbsp desiccated coconut)

1 tsp turmeric powder

2-3 tsp concentrated tamarind paste (or 2 walnut sized pieces of dried tamarind, soaked in hot water and strained for pulp.
Make the Xacuti Masala Paste

Step 1 - Toast the Dry Spices

  • Heat a dry pan over a medium heat.
  • Roast each dry spice separately for under a minute until fragrant
    Watch closely:  Toast chillies until just smoking (do not burn) and flash fry sensitive spices like mustard and black cumin for just a few seconds.
  • Transfer toasted spices to a plate and let them cool competely.

Step 2 - Roast the Coconut & Onions

  • In the same dry pan, lightly toast the sliced onion until soft and translucent.  Set aside.
  • Toast the coconut along with the 1 tsp turmeric over low heat until medium golden brown and aromatic. 
    Remove immediately to prevent scorching.

Step 3 - Grind the Dry Spices

  • Add all cooled dry spices to a spice grinder and pulse into a fine powder.
  • Blend the paste:  In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine the ground dry spices, roasted onion, toasted coconut-turmeric mix, ginger, garlic, and tamarind pulp.
  • Add a small splash of water (just enough to help the blades move) and blend into a thick, smooth masala paste.

Make the Xacuti

Ingredients

2-2.5 kg Lamb cut into bite-sized pieces
Xacuti Masala Paste (scaled to match the 2 - 2.5 kg of meat)
8 medium onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp tamarind concentrate, dissolved in 1 tbsp of water
1 tbsp vinegar (Goan toddy vinegar or white vinegar)
1 lemon, juiced
3- 4 tbsp cooking oil, for frying
Salt to taste
Water, as needed

Sear the Lamb

  • Heat the oil in a large, heavy based pan over a medium-high heat. 
  • Fry the lamb in batches until nicely browned on all sides.  Do not overcrowd the pan or the meat will steam instead of sear.
  • Transfer the browned meat and any released juices to a plate and set aside.

Caramelise the onions

  • Reduce the heat to medium.  In the same pan with the leftover lamb fat add the 8 sliced onions. 
  • Cook, stirring regularly, until they are soft and deeply golden brown.

Make the Xacuti Curry

  • Add the ground Xacuti masala paste directly to the fried onions. 
  • Fry for 2-3 minutes, strinng continuously.

Simmer and Cook

  • Return the browned lamb and any juices back to the pan. 
  • Stir in the diluted tamarind paste, vinegar, and salt to taste.
  • Pour in enough water to just cover the meat.  Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
  • Cover the pan tightly, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 40 minutes until the lamb is tender.
  • If the lamb is still tough after simmering, transfer the tightly covered pan to a preheated oven 180C (Gas Mark 4) for a further 30 minutes until the meat is tender.

Finish and Serve

  • Remove from the heat.
  • Pour in the fresh lemon juice, and stir well.  Taste for salt, and let the curry rest covered for 5 minutes before serving.
  • Serve hot with  pulao, warm poories  and a tomato, chilli and onion salad.