Achari Chicken
Achari Chicken is a bold, tangy Pakistani/Indian chicken curry made with an Achari Masala (pickling spice mix) and optionally topped with stuffed green chilies. With just a little prep this delicious dish cooks in only 30 minutes and the zesty flavours are so captivating
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup oil
- 500 g boneless chicken cut in 4cm (1.5inch) cubes
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 (100g) medium onion blended
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder for colour
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 small (180g) tomatoes blended
- ¼ cup plain yogurt full-fat
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Achari Masala
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds saunf
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds kalonji
- ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds rai dana
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi dana
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Stuffed Chilies
- 4 green chilies
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 teaspoon chaat masala
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon ginger slices
- 1-2 tablespoon coriander
Instructions
- Slit the green chilies from the centre lengthwise and take out the seeds. Mix 3 teaspoon chaat masala and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to make a thick paste. Fill each chili with around a teaspoon of this mixture and keep aside for later.
- Heat oil in a pan and add the Achari Masala ingredients. Roast for 2 minutes till they release their aroma.
- Then add the blended onion on medium heat. Saute till the onions turn golden.
- Add the minced ginger and garlic and stir till they are no longer raw.
- Now put in the chicken on medium high heat along with salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and kashmiri chili powder. Mix everything in.
- Pour in the blended tomatoes and yogurt. Stir well and cover the pan. Let cook for 8-10 minutes on medium low heat.
- Uncover the pan, increase the heat to high and fry for 2 minutes. This process will bring the oil on top.
- Mix in 2 tablespoon of water so that the gravy doesn't get dry. Then place the green chilies, slit side up on top of the chicken.
- Drizzle the lemon juice and cover. Let cook for 6-8 minutes on low heat until the chilies are softened.
- Garnish with sliced ginger and fresh coriander. Serve warm Achari Chicken with naan, roti or steamed basmati rice.
Video
Notes
- Prep your ingredients in advance like combining the pickling spices (achari masala), blending onion and tomatoes etc. This will make cooking faster and easier.
- You can also use bone-in chicken. The cooking time will increase though.
- Make sure not to burn the achari masala while infusing it with oil.
- To prevent yogurt from curdling use whisked, full-fat, plain yogurt and stir continuously while adding it in.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 199kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 28gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 894mgPotassium: 652mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 437IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
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