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Chacuti de Cabrito (Slow-Braised Goat Xacuti Curry)

Name: Chacuti de Cabrito (Slow-Braised Goat Xacuti Curry)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 110 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mozambique
Ingredients: 1200 g bone-in goat shoulder or leg, cut into 4 cm chunks; 150 g freshly grated coconut (or unsweetened desiccated coconut); 2 tbsp white poppy seeds (khus khus); 2 tbsp whole coriander seeds; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp whole black peppercorns; 6 piece whole cloves; 1 piece cinnamon stick (5 cm); 1 tsp ground turmeric; 45 ml peanut oil (or vegetable oil); 250 g red onions, finely chopped; 30 g fresh ginger, peeled and grated; 30 g garlic cloves, finely minced; 3 piece fresh piri-piri chillies (African bird's eye), pierced; 450 ml warm water; 1.5 tsp fine sea salt

Tender bone-in goat simmered in a deeply roasted coconut, poppy seed, and fragrant Portuguese-Goan spice paste until thick and aromatic.

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indo-mozambicangoat-curryslow-braisedfestive-dish

The story

Rooted in centuries of maritime trade between Portuguese Goa and Mozambique's coastal trading posts, Chacuti de Cabrito is a prized culinary heirloom among Indo-Mozambican families in Zambézia and Maputo. Reserved for high-status gatherings such as weddings, confirmations, and Christmas day lunches, this complex braise elevates humble goat into a stately feast. The defining technical pillar of Mozambican chacuti is dry-roasting freshly grated coconut and whole aromatics until they reach a deep, dark coffee brown without scorching, imparting an unmistakable smoky bitterness that balances the richness of the meat.

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