Rich, spiced Mozambican stew with chicken, cashew paste, and aromatic spices.
Xacuti is Mozambique's answer to Indian curry — a Portuguese-influenced spiced stew that layers cashew paste, coconut milk, and warm spices around tender chicken. The depth comes from toasted spices (cloves, cumin, cinnamon) and roasted garlic, finished with cashew cream for richness. It's comfort food with colonial history.
Serves 4
Toast cumin and cloves in a dry pan 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Let cool and grind.
Heat oil and sauté garlic until golden. Add toasted spices and fry 30 seconds.
Add chicken and brown on all sides, 5-6 minutes.
Mix cashew butter with coconut milk. Pour over chicken and simmer 30-35 minutes until chicken is tender.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice.
Toast spices fresh for maximum flavor.
Cashew butter adds creaminess without extra cream.
Low, slow cooking develops the spice layers.
Use shrimp instead of chicken
Add diced tomatoes for tang
Make with lamb for deeper flavor
Refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezes well for 3 months.
Xacuti evolved from Portuguese colonial kitchens blending European spice knowledge with African ingredients and techniques. The name likely derives from the Portuguese 'xacutim' or from local languages.
Xacuti is aromatic and warming, not fiery. The spices add depth rather than heat.
Yes, use mushrooms or chickpeas instead of chicken.
Per serving · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes