July 17, 2007

XACUTTI!

Carrot Xacutti,is my contribution to Nupur from "One Hot Stove" blog's "A to Z Indian Vegetables" event.This week's letter is "X", thanks for hosting Nupur!:)

Health benefits of Carrots:

Carrots and Bugs bunny!! How can we forget the image we all can easily and quickly visualize and drilled into our brains as kids watching all those cartoons?!:D
The carrot can trace its ancestry back thousands of years, originally having been cultivated in central Asian and Middle Eastern countries.Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes. Carrots' antioxidant compounds help protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision, especially night vision.Intake of foods such as carrots that are rich in carotenes may be beneficial to blood sugar regulation.Carrots grow in a host of other colors including white, yellow, red, or purple, the Purple being the color of the original variety! More info at here.


What's Xacutti?
Xacutti or Xacuti or Sha-kooti is another very popular Spicy Goan dish just like Vindaloo, usually made with Chicken or lamb,ground coconut, hot chillies and spices,although it was originally supposed to be a vegetarian dish. I made it with Carrots to make it sweet and hot.Last week, I absentmindedly bought another big bag of baby Carrots last week and had to use them quickly!!(Bee has also posted a Xacuti with little different recipe using cauliflower for "X" yesterday.Check that out too!)
Xacutti is pronounced as "Sha-kooti" which means vegetables mixed with spices.It's the rich mix of spices which makes it very tasty and adding Vinegar instead of usual Tamarind or lemon juice makes it Goan! Enjoy.

Carrot Xacutti:




Xacutti masala pd:


2-3 Kashmiri dry chillies or 1 tsp Paprika, 1 tbsp coriander seeds,1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds, 2 tsp poppy seeds, 2 cardamoms, powdered,4 cloves,1" cinnamon,1 tsp Fennel seeds,1/4 tsp Ajwain, pinch of Nutmeg pd and Mace pd,1/4 cup dry coconut ; all roasted separately and ground together to a fine powder.Keep it aside.





You Need:
4 cups Baby Carrots,chopped into thick rounds,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1 tsp Urad dal,1 tomato(optional) 1 large onions chopped finely,2 garlic, 1" piece ginger(both ground), salt,turmeric,Cilantro, 1 tsp Malt vinegar(or any kind you have) or lemon juice ,1/2 tsp Garam masala.

How to make it:
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add mustard seeds and onions,fry until golden, and add the ground ginger-garlic paste, fry. Add ground masala pd and Vinegar. Stir frequently and fry until the color turns reddish and add 1/4 cup water.
2. Add carrots, turmeric and salt, mix well. Fry for a few minutes, pour in a cup of water and cover the lid. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the carrots are soft but not mushy and the gravy has thickened.Adjust the seasoning.
3. Sprinkle lemon juice(only if needed),cilantro and garam masala. Serve with Parathas or rice if you make the gravy little thinner.

Enjoy the "X" factor!!;D

52 comments:

sra said...

Hey, how innovative! The Xacuti masala looks so fresh!

Saju said...

Vibrant colours, nice entry for A-Z, I am still racking my brain as to what to do, I can't find a single veg I have not used before!

archana said...

Oh Asha my comment vanished!!
I liked the dry masala. It is looking very spicy and aromatic. It has my fav. fennel seeds :) The dish must be tasting very delicious. Nice entry :)

Suganya said...

Hi Asha....
This sounds so different....Love it....Nice entry for "X"

Anonymous said...

Learnt a new recipe with carrots today. Thanks for sharing!
It looks very delicious!

USHA said...

Xacutti hmm....again new recipe...but looks simple and delicious...

Ashaji..u know what i got you in dream last before night...i got ur image as how u look before 15years back..you have sent me lunch in carrier box..traditional south menu..sambar.rasam.rice..Really i don;t remmebr whole dream..but i got some lunchbox..opening it..it is from you...hahhaheee:)))

bee said...

carotty xacuti gum gum
kishiki kishiki kam kam

o sanam, hum dono, saath rahe janam janam...

FH said...

Thanks sra.Never made Xacutti with Carrots before but complements with spicy gravy:)

Saju,that is true.X is hard.But it doesn't have to be a veg,just a name with X will do too.I saw an "X-tra" recipe for X!:D

Hi Archana,it did taste good.Sweet and spicy tastes great together unless you don't like the sweetness of Carrots.You can use any mixed veg too:)

Thanks Sukanya.I was waiting for X week to come around all this time so I can post this!:D

FH said...

Thanks Cinnamon.What a nice name!:))
Hope you try,of course you can add any veggie:)

Hahaha!! Usha,that is nice dream to dream girl.Best part was I was 15yrs younger!!! Hurray!!;D
I think you were expecting a post here today,that's why you had a dream of me!Enjoy.I might see me again today with Punjabi food,tomorrow is Wednesday!:))

FH said...

Hehehe!! Bee,I was waiting for you!:D
I was thinking of Xacutti for months for X and there you go before me with it!Got a shock of my life!Hahaha!Great minds think alike.
Btw,I LOVE that film with Tina Munim and Amol Palekar! I just watched the song on B4U 2 days ago (without Carrotty Xacuti in that!:D)and was saying how cute Tina looked then and now as an Ambani,she is big as her house!
So what's for Y?! Can you beat me!!Hmmm!! I already have it in draft and have to post super fast before you get me! Again!!:D

Anonymous said...

Oh, now I never met a cooked carrot I really loved, but *this* looks like something delicious! Is it black cardamom in the masala Asha? I am going to try this soon -- I always have a mess of baby carrots around! :)

Mishmash ! said...

I loved all your pics...especially the first one :)

Shn

Laavanya said...

One more Xacutti to add to my list! Looks really good Asha... :) I love the first pic of the carrots like they've been stacked .

Anonymous said...

Big S! Never heard of Xacutti. That's an interesting piece of Info. Never tried goan cuisine. lovely entry.

BTW about your reply to Bee's comment...that was a poonam and Sachin song from Shakti(if I am not wrong)hehe.

Jyothi said...

Hi Asha! you are too creative. That Xacuti recipe is a great entry to Nupur's A-Z. Still I am thinking what to send? I am not getting any idea. I love the color of masala powder. Thanks for sharing dear.

Lata said...

Wonderful post. The name sounds so exotic.

FH said...

Linda,we make Sambhar and mixed veg masala with Carrots routinely in India and here at home too.My kids hate boiled carrots they get in school cafe` though!:D
It's green Cardamoms here,but you can use 1/2 of a Black cardamom (seeds)since they are lot stronger than Green ones.Give it try,you might like Carrot Xacutti!:)

Thank you Madam shn!I loved it too,sometimes the light and camera everything cooperates and you get a great picture!:)

Tee said...

looks great! I had also read about this recipe just last week but it was a non-veg one...and before i could do anything, there already are 2 posts on this! :) will try this out soon...meanwhile have to think hard for 'X' :)

FH said...

Thanks Lavanya.Try it.
Those baby Carrots are always look cute,don't they? Sometimes,I just throw whole bunch of them in the pressure pan with dal without chopping!:)

Hema, all Goan dishes have exotic names and they make a special Vinegar at home which gives them a unique taste sweet and sour taste.We just have to use the good old Malt vinegar here!
OH NO!!! I am wrong again about the actors!!:D
You probably are right Hema.I am trying hard to visualize that song and the actors.I KNOW the song though! Those old movies were the best,liked Sachin too,cute guy!
Now a days, they all look like the same!(as my kids say pimps and strippers!!:P)

FH said...

Jyoti,you are welcome.Goan cuisine is great if you use vinegar like they do.May be I will make a post at FH one day about Goan food:)

Lata,all of the Goan dishes like Vindaloo,Xacutti etc sound exotic and very tasty too.Vindaloo supposed to be hottest dish in India.Scary,huh?:D
Try it.

Richa said...

wow, we get to see so many varieties of xacuti :) carrot xacuti, now that's an awesome idea! the spice pwd looks yum with that bright red color :) good way to use them carrots!!

FH said...

Tee,there are many different versions of Xacutti,you can use any veg and make it for X!There are already 2,1 more is not a problem!:)

Hi Richa.YUP! Throw in all the Carrots you have in fridge and make this dish!:D
Great way to use them,healthy and sweet too.You can use the masala for other dishes too,Try it!

Seema Bhat said...

Ashakka nim thale henge heegella vodatte ? X for Xacutti heehee grate girl. Masala powder is a must try for me. Color thumba chennagide ..Chutney powder thare kanatte nange.

FH said...

LOL!! Seema,nin comment kannadalli odidaglella nange bangalorenalle ideeneno annisutte.!:D
I love reading it Seema.X letter dish is pretty hard to come up with but I knew this recipe for a long time,posted it early!!:)
This spice pd ,you can use it with any veggies,tastes great too.
E weekendu relatives idra maneli? Atte swalpa help madtareno alva? Take care,school is coming shortly!:))

Pdk said...

Must try "X" Recipe.. will try it when i come back from India...

Sia said...

i was waiting all these days as what u will come up with for X dish:) u didnt dissapoint me at all;) love that name Xaaa-cu-tti(i know it is pronounced as shakutti;), hey sounds like kutti;) he he he...
sorry, couldn't come before to check and comment. tumba busy agbittiddini. since the day we came bk from trip i have been busy with all meetings and workshops w/o break. innu eshtu dina heege anta gottilla.
before i forget, ur homegrown booty looks so good. mine is all swept away in rain:( so no summer crop for us:(

bha said...

Xacuti, looks nice and yet new way of preparation.

FH said...

Thanks. Have a great time and safe trip to India Priya.Enjoy the Monsoon and mom's food.Xacutti can wait!Hugs!:))

Sia,I know! I don't see you anywhere much.I see it's very hectic for you.New job is making you work like a Donkey!:D
That's okay,comment when you can.There shouldn't one more stress to add!
All veggie plants washed out?! Man! That's not good and makes me so sad.I am getting surplus of Tomatoes here,don't know what to do with them,cooking every day with them.It's very hot here,need to water every 2 days.Watch out for my next post,Tomatoes of course!:)
Anyway,I made Xacutti last week,it was great.Try when you can.
Do not forget to check Wadi Ambat(Tenginkai saaru) in my last post.you don't have to leave comment but check it out.It's yummy and spicy with lots of coconut.I know you will love it!:)
Take care Sups,hugs.

Suma Gandlur said...

Asha,
Even I was thinking of xacuti eversince A-Z event was announced. I see you & Bee posting it. I have already cooked using a veggie I have never cooked before but still want to go ahead and prepared xacuti too.

FH said...

Hi Bhags,thank you.Hope you try.Check out my main blog Foodie's hope too,many new bloggers do not know about FH!:))

Suma,go ahead and post it!I made this last week and was in the draft.Then I saw Bee's post and posted mine anyway. There are many variations of Xacutti recipe.So don't hesitate,Xacutti is great X dish to post.Looking forward your version too!:))

Anonymous said...

Thanks for clearing up the cardamom :) I don't mind *a few carrots* in conjunction with something else (in the place with the good sambhar here, you get one countem ONE slice of carrot, and one hunk of brinjal and one of potato in your bowl!) -- it's a dish entirely of carrots I don't usually go for. But am gonna try this :)

Sharmi said...

so you haven't left a single alphabet have you? :) that is a great one dear. first I wondered how you made the carrots stand one above the other. hehehe....

Priyanka said...

Never heard of Shakooti either Asha- a unique dish- looks inviting and delicious

Anh said...

Asha, what a great way of cooking carrots. I would love to be a bunny since I love to eat carrot raw!

Neelam said...

Hi Asha, very innovative recipe as usual:)Lovely entry for the letter X!

Roopa said...

wow Xacutti, looks yummy here my kids love carrots so cook with it anything will not last long. edu thumabene chenagide. the masala is looking so brigth and colorfull. bye :)

Coffee said...

WOW!! I am sure it was masala time in your kitchen!! With so many masalas at one time your kitchen must be smelling so good!

This recipe is bookmarked to try! :)

deena said...

hey Asha ..carrots look so freah & crunchy..nice pic too!

Nupur said...

That looks so fresh and tasty!

FH said...

Linda,you are welcome.I understand the feeling.My kids feel the same way about the Eggplants!!They want to kill all the Eggplants I have!;D

Sharmi,I am trying not to skip any until I am done with "D"!:D
I started at E and I am almost there.After that,I will take it easy.Tricky baby carrots,huh?:))

Thanks Priyanka.I should do a post on Goan food at FH sometimes!:))
Enjoy.

FH said...

Hahaha! Anh,I love Carrots raw in salads/Raita too! Baby Carrots specially are sweet!:))

Thanks Neelam.Got to come up with something for X and this is the best!;D

My kids love Carrots too Roopa.Carrot saaru,specially is the favorite.This is little spicy but Carrots makes it sweet.Cut down the chillies for the kids.Try it!:)

FH said...

Coffee,I made this masala long back before your Garam masala and was just in the draft waiting for X this week!:))
Yeah! I love the aroma of freshly ground spices! Mouthwatering,although you can't eat them like chutney pd!:D

Hi Deena,I don't cook Carrots too much until mushy,like a little caramelized but still little crunchy.Nothing worse than a mashed up Carrots!!Enjoy:))

Thank you Nupur.I bet you see at least 3 Xacuttis this week.X was tough indeed to come up with!:)
Looking forward to Y,easy compared to X!:D

J said...

I didn't leave a comment? I thought I did :)) I like the first picture, THought you had carrots stacked up!! Nice treat!

FH said...

Hahaha!! Everybody is intrigued about those baby Carrots!I just posted this late on Tuesday,weekdays are busy for you,it's okay!:)
Thanks J,have a great day today.

KellytheCulinarian said...

I love carrots. My parents used to make us eat them and I developed a taste for them. Thanks for another way to use them.

FH said...

You are welcome Kelly!:)
We usually use lot of Carrots in many Indian dishes.I love the sweet and spicy taste of Xacutti,hope you try.

SeeC said...

Thats an interesting post Asha.
Xacutti...sounds very rich.
Inviting too.

FH said...

Thanks Seec.Hope you try!:)

Pooja V said...

This is just great !!! WIll try with carrots next time :) !

FH said...

Hi Pooja,there 4 Xacutis this week at Nupur's in every vegetable possible!:D Try with Carrots too.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Ha! And I would have thought that "X" had to be skipped over! It's a good thing it wasn't because this recipe is fabulous, Asha! So aromatic and flavorful--mmmmm.

FH said...

LOL! Susan,it's true.Most think it's hard to come up with X dishes! But India has everything!!;D
It's easy to find X, if we didn't have to cook only Indian dishes though.Enjoy!:)