Easy and Delightful Achari Chicken Recipe

Few chicken curry recipes are so distinct that their flavor and aroma remain embedded in your mind like this achari chicken recipe.

Achari chicken is a North Indian dish that uses pickling spices to bring out a deliciously zesty and tangy flavour in the curry sauce.

Achar [or achaar] means pickle in Hindi and that's where this recipe's name comes from.

Although the chicken is not pickled, but only uses the same whole spices, such as Nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds, the name is absolutely fit for this recipe, as if you ever tried mango pickle [or other Indian pickles] in any Indian restaurant, then you can kind of know what to expect, which is absolutely unexpected!

Enriched with tomato and yogurt, this chicken curry will - no doubt - become a family favorite, especially since it tastes better the day after [say yes to leftovers!] and takes very little time to put together.

Achari Chicken Ingredients

• Coriander Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Nigella Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, and Dry Red Chillies: These are the whole spices used to prepare homemade achari masala. [No fear, it only takes a couple of minutes to put together!] These are typically used to prepare homemade pickles, are rich in flavor, and can be found in most grocery shops and Indian grocery stores.
• Skinless Bone-In Chicken: For most curries, it is best to use chicken with bone, as it releases flavor, however, boneless chicken, such as chicken breast, will work well too, but make sure not to overcook it.
• Turmeric Powder, Ginger Garlic Paste, Full-Fat Natural Yogurt, Salt, Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: These are the ingredients for the chicken marinade. While turmeric and chilli powder are typical Indian spices, the ginger and garlic paste will offer tanginess, while the yogurt tenderizes and enriches the chicken pieces.
• Vegetable Oil: While traditional achari chicken uses mustard oil, this is marked as 'for external use only' in many countries, such as the US, Canada, and Europe. Because of this, I used sunflower oil, however, any flavorless cooking oil, such as canola, will work well too.
• Black Mustard Seeds: This is the only whole spice in this recipe that doesn't get put in the grinder. Enjoy its pungent flavor that perfectly complements this chicken curry.
• Green Chillies, Onions, and Tomatoes: These are traditional Indian ingredients used in many [if not most] curries.
• Fresh Ginger, and Lemon Juice: Ginger cut in juliennes, this is typical of achari chicken and an absolute must for this recipe. The lemon drizzled on top at the end is a game-changer.
• Cilantro [Fresh Coriander Leaves]: To garnish.

How To Make Achari Chicken Curry Recipe?

Prepare The Achari Masala Spice Mix

1. In a wide frying pan, add the fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, and dry red chillies.
2. Dry roast the whole spices for 2-3 minutes on a low flame, until they become aromatic.
3. Allow the Indian spices to cool down then move them to a spice grinder and blend to a fine powder.
4. Set aside.

Marinate The Chicken Pieces

5. In a large bowl, add the diced chicken, ground turmeric, ginger garlic paste, full-fat natural yogurt, salt, Kashmiri chilli powder, and the achari masala spice mix [the one you just prepared] and mix well ensuring all the chicken pieces are well covered.
6. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Prepare Achari Chicken Curry

7. In a large saucepan, add the oil and heat up on medium heat. Once warm, add the mustard seeds to the hot oil and allow them to pop for a few second.
8. Next, add the finely chopped onions and fresh chillies to the pan; mix well and allow to cook until the onions are soft and their edges start to lightly brown.

9. Once the onions are ready, add the chopped tomatoes to the saucepan, together with a little salt. Once more, mix well and allow to cook until the tomatoes soften on a medium-low heat, which will take about 3-5 minutes.
10. Once the curry sauce is ready, add the marinated chicken to the saucepan and fry on medium flame for 5 minutes.

11. Once the oil separates from the spices, add ¾ cup of water [150-200 ml], mix well again, and cook the chicken. Allow the achari chicken to simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes [or until cooked].
12. Finally, add the julienned ginger and allow to simmer for a further couple of minutes.

13. Once ready, before serving, top with freshly chopped cilantro [fresh coriander leaves] and lemon juice.
14. Serve hot with simple pulao rice, jeera rice, or any Indian bread, such as phulka, naan bread, and parathas.

People Also Ask [FAQs]

How To Store Achari Chicken Curry?

• In the fridge: Store the chicken achari in an airtight container for up to three days.
• In the freezer: Once it reaches room temperature, put the chicken curry in a suitable container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating thoroughly.

Tips & Tricks for the Best Achari Chicken

• Chicken: Chicken on the bone, such as chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks tend to be used the most to prepare curries as they stay moist and release flavor simultaneously. Should you opt to use boneless chicken breast instead, then it is best to allow it to marinate in the yogurt for at least a couple of hours, as this will add some fat to the chicken, keeping it moist while cooking.
• Nigella Seeds Substitute: I have used black sesame seeds instead of nigella seeds a few times and they work absolutely fine. Cumin seeds and onions seeds don't offer the same flavor so I wouldn't recommend them as a substitute.
• Tomato: Tomato puree or tomato paste can be used instead of fresh tomatoes, however, the end result won't be precisely the same.
• More Curry Gravy: To have more gravy, simply increase the amount of sliced onion while preparing the curry, and to balance the richness, add some yogurt to it at the same time as the water. To add more yogurt and avoid its curdling, see the suggestions above in the FAQs section.
• Achari Masala: The ready-made spice mix can be found in most Indian grocery stores, however, using this will give you very little control over the flavor and heat of the dish. All the spices used can be found easily to prepare this and many other homemade masalas; once ready, the ground spices can be stored in a glass jar or airtight container for future uses.
• Pickle: Many like to add a spoonful of the pickling spices from a jar of mango pickle. Personally, I think this dish is perfectly balanced as is, however, do give it a try if this sounds up your street.
• Lemon Juice: It is very, VERY important that you don't forget to add lemon juice to the dish. This balances the achari chicken curry to perfection and is a must!
• Bell Peppers: Bell peppers are a great veggie addition to this lip-smacking chicken curry!

Not many chicken dishes leave a mark like this delicious, hot, lip-smacking achari chicken, and for good reason!

The flavors of this hot curry are very complex, yet, it is so easy to make you won't think of spicy food the same way again!

This is an ideal dish to serve on a curry night, for dinner mid-week, or to add to the lunchbox with some steamed rice for cold winter days.

WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Please get in touch if you have any questions at all, and if you try out this incredible recipe, please comment and rate it in the recipe card below. Thank you!