achari chicken recipe, achari murgh curry

Achari chicken or achari murgh is a pickle flavoured chicken curry that uses all the spices mainly used to make pickles. It is quite a popular dish in Hyderabad as well as in other parts of India. I am sharing the detailed procedure to make the recipe along with step by step photos.

Check out various chicken recipes on the blog that are not so common and yet quite popular such as chicken jalfrezi, chicken changezi, chettinad chicken, indian chicken curry, shahi chicken korma, dahi chicken etc...

Jump to:

• About the recipe
• Ingredients
• Step by step procedure 
• Recipe
• Faq's

About the recipe

This is a pickle flavour kind of chicken curry which is made by using achari ingredients such as kalonji, mustard, methi and cumin seeds. The main ingredient added into the recipe is an achari powder which is made instantly.

The achari powder is made by roasting pickle-flavoured ingredients such as mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and fennel seeds. Any pickle making mainly uses them to make achar.

Here, I am making a quick and instant chicken achar. The work 'achar' is a term given to pickle.

This is a pickle flavoured curry that tastes best with roti or paratha. It is simply made by making a base of onion, tomatoes and also adding this achari powder gives an amazing achari aroma to the whole dish.

Lastly, the dish is completed by giving an achari tadka using some tadka seeds, chillies and fresh curry leaves.

Check out other simple chicken recipes that can be used to serve as starters are chicken liver fry, chicken leg fry, kadai chicken.

Check out the detailed ingredients to use in the recipe below.

Ingredients

Achari spices: I am dry roasting spices to add to the chicken curry. The spices used are mustard/Raai, cumin /jeera, fenugreek/methi, mainly kalonji seeds/ nigella seeds, dry red chillies.

Also, a cinnamon stick to give an aromatic flavour is added and roasted. These are the main achari flavours that are mandatorily added.

Boneless chicken: Using any chicken is fine but if serving with flatbreads, it is better to use boneless chicken pieces that are cut into small cubes.

Onions: Using onions by chopping them finely as this is a curry or gravy form and gives a good base to store for few days in the refrigerator.

Tomato puree: Using 3-4 tomatoes and making a puree of them to add to the chicken achari gives a good curry base. Using a readily available puree or making it at home is a better option.

Oil: Oil is used in some stages of the recipe making as it is essential for any curry recipe or a pickle recipe. Using any oil can be opted as per one's choice. The oil used should be edible.

Dry spices and Yogurt:

These are used to marinate or mix the chicken pieces to add flavours to the achari chicken tikka pieces. The basic spices used are salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste.

Also, adding yogurt to the chicken marinade to add and enhance the chicken flavour.

Tadka: Giving tadka using basic tadka ingredients such as mustard, kalonji, chillies, curry leaves is important in the end as well as is the main step to give the pickle flavours to the whole recipe.

Step by step procedure 

Achari masala powder

• Pour oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Also, add kalonji/ nigella seeds, fenugreek/ methi seeds and add Add fennel seeds, dry red chilies, 1 cinnamon stick.

• Dry roast all the ingredients for few seconds and cool them down.

• Blend the roasted ingredients into fine powder and keep aside.

Mixing the chicken

• Take boneless chicken pieces in a mixing bowl.

• Add salt as per taste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, yogurt.

• Mix the marinade well.

Making the achari murgh

• Pour oil into a wok or a pan. Add medium size finely chopped onions and saute them until they turn soft.

• Add ginger garlic paste and saute for few seconds.

• Add the chicken marinade, mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes until color of chicken changes.

• Add the roasted achari chicken powder and mix well.

• Add 1 cup tomato puree.

• Mix and add red chili powder. Also, add roasted coriander powder and adjust salt if required.

• Mix. Close the lid, cover and Cook the masala well until oil releases.

• Keep cooking until chicken tenderizes and keep stirring in between.

Tadka

• Take a tadka pan, pour oil and heat it.
  • Add mustard seeds, kalonji/nigella seeds.
  • Also, add dried redchillies, saute well.
  • Add fresh curry leaves and let them crackle.

• Add the tadka to the chicken achari.

• Mix well. Serve hot with roti or paratha.

Recipe

Variations

Here, in the recipe, I am using tomato puree and chopped onions. These twp ingredients can be replaced with fine onion paste and finely chopped tomatoes. Adding in chopped form or by making a paste is entirely optional.

Fennel seeds give good flavor to the achar but if not handy it can be skipped.

If one does not want to make curry then just coat the achari masala powder to the boneless chicken tikka pieces and shallow fry them or barbecue them to get the flavor of achari chicken tikka.

Storage

Since this is made like an instant curry it can last up to a week if stored well in the refrigerator.

The taste starts changing after few days as it is made in the form of a curry.

Do not store it for months as the achari chicken made here is instant and not suitable to store for a long time.

Faq's

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