Achari chicken is an Indian chicken curry flavored with pickle masala or achar masala. It goes great with Indian bread or rice dishes (stovetop and instant pot)
If you like to try more chicken recipes, here are some – Coconut Curry Chicken, Chicken Masala, Kadai Chicken, Chicken Angara, Malabar Chicken Curry, and Chicken Keema Masala.
Jump to:
About This Recipe
Achari chicken or murgh achari, as the name describes it well, is an aromatic, tangy, and flavourful North Indian chicken curry with the delectable flavors of achaar or pickle.
Acari chicken curry uses some spices which are also used to make an achaar/pickle and the base of this curry is made of tomato and curd/yogurt.
To give it an extra achaari flavor, I have used achari masala spice mix (recipe to make it is given below) and masala from already made pickles.
This curry is mostly made during winters as it is the best time to enjoy hot and spicy food. having said that, you can enjoy it any time of the year.
This Achari Chicken Curry is,
- Delicious
- Easy to make
- Better the next day
- Loaded with Achaar flavor
- A unique Chicken recipe
Ingredients
Chicken – I generally use skinless bone-in chicken to make curries as they impart a nice flavor to the curries but you can go for boneless chicken too. You can make the same recipe using mutton too. Cooking time will vary in that case.
Oil – Make this chicken curry in mustard oil, it adds to the flavor. Heat the oil till it’s smoking hot, before you put other ingredients, as the mustard oil tends to give a raw taste if not heated properly in the recipes.
If you don’t have mustard oil, you can use any vegetable oil to make this curry.
Whole Spices – We will use some spices that are used to make achaar or pickle, as it gives it that achari flavor. These spices are fenugreek seeds (methi), fennel seeds (saunf), mustard seeds (sarson), cumin seeds (jeera), and black onion seeds (kalonji).
Achaar Masala – Apart from the dry achari masala spice mix, I recommend adding some already prepared achaar masala from your mango pickle to enhance the taste of this curry.
I have mentioned the recipe to make the achari masala below but you can also check out the detailed blog post about achari masala here.
I have used the already prepared achaar masala from my Rajasthani aam ka achar recipe. You can use any pickle thought. Store-bought pickles also work well.
Yogurt, Onion, and Tomato – The base of this curry is made with these three ingredients, which complement the pickled masala. Yogurt helps to lower down the spices, and making the curry nice and rich.
Other Ingredients – Other than the above-mentioned ingredients, we will need ginger garlic paste, salt, red chili powder, all-purpose flour, lime juice, and fresh coriander.
You can also use Kashmiri red chili for a better colour in the recipe.
Use fresh coriander leaves to garnish the curry, for that pop of green colour and freshness.
How to make Achari Chicken (Stove-Top)?
Heat 5 tbsp of mustard oil in a large heavy bottom pan.
Once the oil starts to fume, switch off the heat, and let it cool for a minute. This process will remove the raw smell of the mustard which is very pungent. If you like pungency, you can skip fuming the oil. Now switch on the heat again and let the oil heat up. Once the oil is hot, add ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, and ¼ tsp black onion seeds and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
Add 2 cups of thinly sliced onion and fry on medium-high heat until they turn slightly brown in color (8-10 minutes). Keep stirring while frying at regular intervals.
Add 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste and fry until onions turn golden brown (6-8 minutes).
Wash 2 pounds (1 kg) of bone-in chicken and add it to the pan. Fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes, salt to taste, and 3 tbsp achari masala along with ½ cup of water and cover and cook for 10 mins. I have given the recipe to make homemade achari masala in the notes. Make a big batch of this masala and store it to use as required.
Add 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder and 1 cup yogurt whisked with 1 tsp of all-purpose flour in the pan. Kashmiri red chili gives a lovely red color to the curry. You can increase the amount of chili powder if you like your chicken curry spicy. Adding some flour to the yogurt prevents it from splitting while cooking and also makes the curry creamier.
Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat until the chicken is done. It will take 30-35 minutes for the chicken to cook perfectly.
Add 1 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp of masala from the ready-made pickle. I generally use the masala from ready mango pickle. Mix everything well and remove the pan from heat.
Achari chicken is ready. Garnish the curry with fresh coriander. Serve hot with phulka or steamed rice.
Instant Pot Achari Chicken Recipe
- Press SAUTE button of the instant pot and add 5 tbsp of mustard oil to it.
- Once the oil is hot, add ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, and ¼ tsp black onion seeds and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- Add 2 cups of thinly sliced onion and fry for 8-10 minutes until they turn slightly brown in color. Keep stirring while frying at regular intervals.
- Add 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste and fry until onions turn golden brown (6-8 minutes).
- Wash the bone-in chicken and add it to the instant pot. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes, salt to taste, and 3 tbsp achari masala along with ½ cup of water and cook for a minute. I have given the recipe to make homemade achari masala in the notes. Make a big batch of this masala and store it to use as required.
- Add 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder and 1 cup yogurt whisked with 1 tsp of all-purpose flour to the pot. Kashmiri red chili gives a lovely red color to the curry. You can increase the amount of chili powder if you like your chicken curry spicy. Adding some flour to the yogurt prevents it from splitting while cooking and also makes the curry creamier.
- Close the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release teh remaining manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Use a kitchen cloth to move the valve to avoid steam burn.
- Open the lid of the pot and add 1 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp of masala from the ready-made pickle. I generally use the masala from ready mango pickle. Mix everything well.
- Garnish the curry with fresh coriander. Serve hot with phulka or steamed rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out the detailed recipe of achari masala here.
Ingredients
16-18 whole Kashmiri dry red chilies
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp onion seeds
6 tbsp fennel seeds
4 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
6 tbsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp asafoetida
4 tsp dry mango powder
Instructions
Dry roast dry red chilies, coriander seeds, onion seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and cumin till slightly browned and fragrant.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Blend in a blender with the rest of the ingredients to make a coarse powder.
Store in an airtight container for up to a month in a cool and dry place or refrigerate it for about 2 months.
I have always used mango pickle masala, as it has the right amount of tanginess and spiciness. You can also try using green chili pickle masala, but I think mango pickle will taste the best.
In this version, you can simply avoid adding yogurt and make the curry base with just tomatoes and onions.
Instead of chopped tomatoes, use tomato puree for a smooth curry. If you like it to be chunky, you can add in finely chopped tomatoes too.
Serving Suggestions
Achari chicken tastes great with all Indian bread, such as Phulka, Tawa Paratha, Laccha Paratha, Tandoori Roti, Naan, Missi Roti, or any other bread that you prefer to serve it with.
It tastes incredibly good with Steamed Rice, Matar Pulao and Jeera Rice too.
You can also serve a Raita and Lacchedar Pyaaz on the side to complete this meal.
Storing Suggestions
Achari chicken actually tastes better the next day, as the achaar tastes become more prominent. You can store it for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat it in a pan or microwave, before serving.
This curry is not recommended to freeze, as the yogurt in it will split while thawing the curry.
You might also like
Recipe Card
Achari Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken (skinless, bone-in)
- 5 tablespoons mustard oil
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon black onion seeds
- 2 cups thinly sliced onion
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 3 tablespoons achari masala (recipe in notes)
- salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour/maida
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon masala from pickle
- chopped fresh coriander (Chopped)
Instructions
- Heat 5 tbsp of mustard oil in a large heavy bottom pan.
- Once the oil starts to fume, switch off the heat, and let it cool for a minute. This process will remove the raw smell of the mustard which is very pungent. If you like pungency, you can skip fuming the oil. Now switch on the heat again and let the oil heat up. Once the oil is hot, add ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, and ¼ tsp black onion seeds and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- Add 2 cups of thinly sliced onion and fry on medium-high heat until they turn slightly brown in color (8-10 minutes). Keep stirring while frying at regular intervals.
- Add 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste and fry until onions turn golden brown (6-8 minutes).
- Wash the bone-in chicken and add it to the pan. Fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes, salt to taste, and 3 tbsp achari masala along with ½ cup of water and cover and cook for 10 mins. I have given the recipe to make homemade achari masala in the notes. Make a big batch of this masala and store it to use as required.
- Add 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder and 1 cup yogurt whisked with 1 tsp of all-purpose flour in the pan. Kashmiri red chili gives a lovely red color to the curry. You can increase the amount of chili powder if you like your chicken curry spicy. Adding some flour to the yogurt prevents it from splitting while cooking and also makes the curry creamier.
- Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat until the chicken is done. It will take 30-35 minutes for the chicken to cook perfectly.
- Add 1 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp of masala from the ready-made pickle. I generally use the masala from ready mango pickle. Mix everything well and remove the pan from heat.
- Garnish the curry with fresh coriander. Serve hot with phulka or steamed rice.
Notes
16-18 whole Kashmiri dry red chilies
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp onion seeds
6 tbsp fennel seeds
4 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
6 tbsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp asafoetida
4 tsp dry mango powder
Instructions
Dry roast dry red chilies, coriander seeds, onion seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and cumin till slightly browned and fragrant.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Blend in a blender with the rest of the ingredients to make a coarse powder.
Store in an airtight container for up to a month in a cool and dry place or refrigerate it for about 2 months. Instant Pot Recipe
- Press SAUTE button of the instant pot and add 5 tbsp of mustard oil to it.
- Once the oil is hot, add ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, and ¼ tsp black onion seeds and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- Add 2 cups of thinly sliced onion and fry for 8-10 minutes until they turn slightly brown in color. Keep stirring while frying at regular intervals.
- Add 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste and fry until onions turn golden brown (6-8 minutes).
- Wash the bone-in chicken and add it to the instant pot. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes, salt to taste, and 3 tbsp achari masala along with ½ cup of water and cook for a minute. I have given the recipe to make homemade achari masala in the notes. Make a big batch of this masala and store it to use as required.
- Add 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder and 1 cup yogurt whisked with 1 tsp of all-purpose flour to the pot. Kashmiri red chili gives a lovely red color to the curry. You can increase the amount of chili powder if you like your chicken curry spicy. Adding some flour to the yogurt prevents it from splitting while cooking and also makes the curry creamier.
- Close the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Use a kitchen cloth to move the valve to avoid steam burn.
- Open the lid of the pot and add 1 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp of masala from the ready-made pickle. I generally use the masala from ready mango pickle. Mix everything well.
- Garnish the curry with fresh coriander. Serve hot with phulka or steamed rice.
