Achari Chicken

Achari chicken or achari murgh is a bold and spicy chicken curry made in Indian pickling spices. Serve it with naan and a salad on the side for a delicious meal. Instant pot and stove top recipes included.

I had a lot of fun while coming up with an English translation for chicken achari. The thought popped in my mind that this is literally chicken in a pickle. And that tickled me no end. Chicken in a pickle that makes you tickle? Haha!

Goofiness aside, I have to warn you, there’s nothing subtle about achari chicken. It’s a very bold, in-your-face kind of dish that will elicit some reaction. So if you’re ready to get your senses (tickled?!) go on and read the rest.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a mild and comforting chicken dish that's packed with flavor, check out my instant pot chicken vegetable soup. It's silky smooth and full of the goodness of chicken and vegetables.

What goes into this achari chicken recipe?

• 1 chicken, bone-in and cut into medium sized pieces
• Mustard oil or vegetable oil
• Onion, chopped
• Ginger and garlic, minced
• Tomatoes, pureed or readymade tomato puree
• Whole spices – fennel, mustard, nigella, fenugreek and coriander seeds plus dried red chillies and a bay leaf
• Sea salt, to taste
• Ground spices – Kashmiri red chilli and turmeric.

A note about Kashmiri chilli - this is a naturally mild variety of chilli and won't add too much heat. It is also a very pleasing natural red color that makes any curry it is added to quite vibrant. Available in Indian grocery stores, but if you don't have it, use cayenne. Just remember to add a little less if you don't want a super-hot curry.

Here's a picture of the whole spices you need for this recipe.

Cooking with mustard oil

Mustard oil has a deep, smoky flavor that enhances the taste of meat or vegetables cooked in it. It has been used for centuries in countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Unfortunately, in Canada, USA and Europe, mustard oil comes with a ‘for external use only’ label. This is because of the presence of a compound called erucic acid which may be harmful for health. If you are not comfortable cooking with it, feel free to use any oil of your choice like canola or sunflower.

If you decide to cook with mustard oil, you will find brands without the warning label in any Indian or Pakistani grocery in your town. With this oil, however, you need to go one extra step. You need to smoke it before using it. It's a very simple process: heat the oil in a saucepan on medium to high. After a few minutes, you will see that it will start smoking and its color will change to a pale yellow. Switch off the gas and wait for it to cool down to the required temperature. Now, you can go ahead and use it for cooking.

How to make achari chicken 

Preparation 

1. Smoke the mustard oil if using.

2. Chop the onion finely.

3. Mince the ginger and garlic - peel the stuff, throw it in a blender along with some water and blend. Store the extra in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator. You can also buy bottled ginger and garlic pastes from any supermarket these days to save time.

3. Puree the tomatoes - just put roughly chopped tomatoes in a blender and whiz to get a thick sauce. I often use readymade tomato puree that comes in tetra packs for convenience. It also adds a lot more color to the gravy.

4. Crush the coriander and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle. You can also do this in a spice grinder but be careful not to grind it to a fine powder! Just give it one or two turns at the lowest setting to get coarsely ground spices.

Tip: If you don't have a spice grinder, a coffee grinder would work as well. Just wash it in hot, soapy water before and after if you don't want coffee-flavored curry. Or curry flavored coffee!

Instant Pot Method

Step 1 - Turn on your instant pot to saute (normal), add the oil and let it heat up. Add the fenugreek seeds and when they turn dark brown (a few seconds), add the rest of the whole spices. Let them sizzle in the hot oil for 10 seconds.

Step 2 - Add the chopped onions and fry until they turn golden brown (5 minutes).

Step 3 - Tip in the ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri red chilli and turmeric powders. Saute for about 3 minutes adding splashes of water to prevent the masala from sticking to the pot.

Step 4 - Add the tomato puree, salt and chicken and cook until the masala is well roasted and the oil separates (10 minutes). Achari masala is done.

Step 5 - Cancel the saute mode and switch on the pressure cooking (manual in some models) mode. Secure the lid, seal the vent and set the timer to 4 minutes.

Step 6 - Once the timer beeps, release the pressure after 5 minutes. Chicken achari curry is ready. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with naan and onion rings.

Stovetop method

Chicken achari turns out fabulous if simmered on low heat on the stovetop. Here are a few points to note -

1. Cook the chicken in a heavy bottomed pan or karahi.

2. Follow the steps until step 4, then cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer for half an hour to 45 minutes. If you find the gravy is getting dry, add a few splashes of water to keep it moist. The final dish has a thick, not thin gravy, but you still need a little water to cook the chicken.

3. Do keep the heat low after step 4 and cover the pot to seal in the flavor. The chicken will cook in its own juices and you will get a moist and succulent chicken curry in the end.

Garnish with cilantro and serve this achari chicken masala with naan and onions.

Other chicken curries you might like