Achari Chicken Curry is a North Indian-style chicken curry flavored with pickling spices (achar masala). It goes great with Indian bread or rice dishes (stovetop and instant pot recipe included).
Here are some more chicken curry recipes that you may like – Coconut Curry Chicken, Chicken Masala, Kadai Chicken, Chicken Angara, Malabar Chicken Curry, and Chicken Keema Masala.
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About Achari Chicken Curry
Achar in Hindi means pickle.
Achari Chicken Curry (Achari Murgh), as the name describes it well, is an aromatic, tangy, and flavorful North Indian chicken curry with the delectable flavors of Indian pickling spices.
Indian pickles are very different than their US cousins. They are loaded with spices and oil and are packed with a punch.
Achari Chicken recipe uses spices, which are also used to make an achaar, and the base of this curry is made of tomato and yogurt.
This curry is mainly made during winter as it is the best time to enjoy hot and spicy food. Having said that, you can enjoy it any time of the year.
I like to cook this curry in a pot over the stovetop, but you can make it in an instant pot or a traditional pressure cooker. I am sharing all the methods in the post below.
Achari Chicken recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. If doubling the recipe, use a bigger (8-qt) instant pot or a bigger pan. The cooking time in the instant pot will remain the same, but it will slightly increase if you cook it in a pan.
Ingredients
You will get all the ingredients to make chicken achari in Indian grocery stores.
Chicken – I generally use skinless bone-in chicken to make curries, as the bones give a lovely flavor to them. Instead of using a whole chicken, you can also use chicken drumsticks. To remove the skin on the drumsticks, grab the skin with a paper towel and pull it back towards the narrow end.
You can also use boneless chicken breast or thighs if you don’t like chicken with bones. Reduce the cooking time as the boneless chicken pieces cook much faster than the bone-in pieces.
You can make the same recipe using goat mutton or lamb too. Cooking time will vary in that case.
Oil – This curry tastes best when made in mustard oil.
You can use any vegetable oil to make this curry if you don’t have mustard oil.
Whole Spices – You will need some whole spices used to make achaar (pickle). These spices are fenugreek seeds (methi dana), fennel seeds (saunf), brown mustard seeds (sarson), cumin seeds (jeera), and nigella seeds (kalonji, onion seeds).
When added to hot oil, these spices release very earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter flavors. Do not overdo the spices; otherwise, the curry will become bitter.
If you don’t have one or two spices, skip adding them.
Achari Masala – Achari masala is a spice mix used to make Indian pickles. You can make a big batch of this achari spice mix at home and keep using it in your recipes. I have given the recipe to make achari masala in the post below.
You can also buy this masala if you are on a time crunch.
Masala From Ready Pickle – 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 used the achaar masala from my Rajasthani aam ka achar recipe. You can use any homemade pickles though. Store-bought pickles also work well.
Yogurt (Dahi, Curd), Onions, and Tomato Paste make the curry base. You can also use canned tomato puree or homemade pureed tomatoes.
Other Ingredients – Other than the ingredients mentioned above, you will also need ginger garlic paste, salt, Kashmiri red chilli powder, all-purpose flour (maida), lime juice (or lemon juice), and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).
Adding some flour to the yogurt prevents it from curdling while cooking and makes the curry creamier.
You can also add some cubed bell peppers to this curry.
How To Make Achari Chicken Curry
Stovetop Recipe
Heat 5 tablespoon of mustard oil (or vegetable oil) in a large heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat.
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. Skip this step if using vegetable oil.
Now switch on the heat again and let the oil heat up on medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon nigella seeds
and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
Add 2 cups of thinly sliced onions and fry until they turn slightly brown (6-8 minutes). Stir frequently at regular intervals.
Add 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and fry until onions turn golden brown (4-5 minutes).
Rinse 2 pounds (1 kg) of bone-in chicken pieces (cut into 1 and ½-inch chunks) and add them to the pan. Fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low.
Add
- ¼ cup tomato paste (or ½ cup canned tomato puree or 1 cup homemade pureed tomatoes)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon achari masala spice mix
- ½ cup of water
and mix everything well. Cook for 4-5 mins, stirring frequently.
Add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and 1 cup yogurt whisked with 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour to the pan and mix well.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender and the oil separates on the sides of the pan. It will take 30-35 minutes for the chicken to cook perfectly.
Stir a few times while cooking.
Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon of masala from the ready-made pickle. I generally use the masala from the ready mango pickle. Mix everything well.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Chicken Achari is ready. Garnish the curry with chopped cilantro. I also like to garnish it with ginger juliennes and slit green chilies.
Serve hot with phulka or steamed rice.
Instant Pot Recipe
Press SAUTE button of the instant pot and add 5 tablespoon mustard oil to it.
Once the oil is hot, add ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, and ¼ teaspoon nigella seeds and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
Add 2 cups of thinly sliced onions and fry until they turn slightly brown (6-8 minutes). Stir frequently at regular intervals.
Add 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and fry until onions turn golden brown (4-5 minutes).
Rinse 2 pounds (1 kg) of bone-in chicken pieces (cut into 1 and ½-inch chunks) and add them to the pot. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add ¼ cup tomato paste, 2 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoon achari masala spice mix, and ½ cup of water and mix everything well. Cook for 4-5 mins, stirring frequently.
Add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and 1 cup yogurt whisked with 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour to the pot.
Close the instant pot lid 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 pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Use a kitchen cloth or a spoon to move the valve to avoid steam burn.
Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon of masala from the ready-made pickle. I generally use the masala from the ready mango pickle. Mix everything well.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Instant Pot Achari Chicken is ready. Garnish the curry with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with phulka or steamed rice.
Traditional Pressure Cooker Recipe
Follow the recipe until adding the yogurt over high heat.
Close the cooker’s lid and pressure cook the chicken for 2 whistles on high heat. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon of masala from the ready-made pickle. I generally use the masala from the ready mango pickle. Mix everything well.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Instant Pot Achari Chicken Curry is ready. Garnish the curry with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with phulka or steamed rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ingredients
16-18 whole Kashmiri dry red chilies
2 tbsp coriander seeds (dhaniya seeds)
2 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji, onion seeds)
6 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
4 tbsp mustard seeds (sarson)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
6 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera)
4 tbsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp asafetida (hing)
4 tsp dry mango powder (amchoor)
Instructions
Dry roast dry red chilies, coriander, nigella, fennel, mustard, fenugreek, and cumin on medium heat until slightly browned and fragrant.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Grind in a spice grinder with the rest of the ingredients to make a coarse powder.
Store in an airtight container for up to a month or refrigerate it for about 2 months.
Check out the detailed recipe of achari masala here.
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.
In this version, you can skip adding yogurt and make the curry base with tomato puree and onions.
Mustard oil has been the preferred oil for cooking in India for centuries. It is supposed to have many medicinal benefits. But unfortunately, It is banned in a few countries like the US, Canada, and Europe. It comes with a label ‘For external use only. ‘ It is due to the presence of a compound Erucic Acid, which is considered harmful to health.
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 you prefer to serve it with.
It tastes incredibly good with Steamed Rice, Matar Pulao, and Jeera Rice.
You can also serve a Raita and Vinegar Onions on the side to complete this meal.
Storage Suggestions
Achari chicken 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.
You can freeze the curry in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw and heat before serving.
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Recipe Card
Achari Chicken Curry Recipe (Chicken With Pickling Spices)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken (1 kg, cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces and rinsed)
- 5 tablespoons mustard oil (or any other cooking oil)
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds (sarson)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ¼ teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji, onion seeds)
- 2 cups thinly sliced onions
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- ¼ cup tomato paste (or ½ cup canned tomato puree or 1 cup pureed fresh tomatoes)
- 3 tablespoons achari masala spice mix
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 cup plain yogurt (dahi)
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour (maida)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon masala from pickle (I generally use the masala from the ready mango pickle.)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Heat mustard oil in a large heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat.
- 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. Skip this step if using vegetable oil.
- Now switch on the heat again and let the oil heat up on medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and nigella seeds, and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- Add onions and fry until they turn slightly brown (6-8 minutes). Stir frequently at regular intervals.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and fry until onions turn golden brown (4-5 minutes).
- Rinse chicken pieces and add them to the pan. Fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Add tomato paste, salt, and achari masala spice mix along with ½ cup of water and mix everything well. Cook for 4-5 mins, stirring frequently.
- Add Kashmiri red chili powder and yogurt whisked with all-purpose flour to the pan.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender. It will take 30-35 minutes for the chicken to cook perfectly. Stir a few times while cooking.
- Add lime juice and masala from the ready-made pickle. I generally use the masala from the ready mango pickle. Mix everything well.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Achari chicken curry is ready. Garnish the curry with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with phulka or steamed rice.
Phil Crookes
Hello from the UK. We made this and absolutely loved its tangy flavour. Delicious. Possibly the best home-made curry we have ever eaten. We are now trying other recipes from your fantastic website! Thank you.
Neha Mathur
Awesome!
Phil Crookes
Wonderful, tangy and aromatic yet not too complex to make.
Neha Mathur
🙂
Navaz
Its really yummy my husband fav
Neha Mathur
Nice 🙂