I love pickle, aka achar, so it’s no surprise that I love to make and eat this dish. Achari Chicken or Murgh Achari is a popular Indian curry recipe that mimics the flavours of a pickle by using the spices and flavours that go into pickling mangoes, carrots and other vegetables. But it’s not restricted to just vegetables, pickles can also include non vegetarian proteins like fish, shrimp or even beef!

There are many ways to make this recipe some use a store bought pickle masala powder and some add dollops of pickle into the gravy. My recipe is simple using whole spices that are easily available to make this delicious dish.

Achari Chicken

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Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs – 1.3 kg whole Chicken cut in pieces
  • Juice 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tbsps Ginger & Garlic paste
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsps Mustard Oil
  • 3 tbsps regular Oil
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp Nigella seeds or Onion seeds
  • 1 tsp Fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 5 dried whole red Chilies
  • 2 tbsps fresh julienne of Garlic
  • 3 tbsps fresh julienne of Ginger
  • 1 cup finely sliced Onion
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp red Chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp of Lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Ginger & Garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp of Black salt (add more to taste(
  • 4 tbsps Tomato puree
  • 1 cup water
  • 5 tbsps beaten Yogurt
  • Coriander for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Marinate the Chicken with the lemon juice, ginger & garlic paste and salt and leave aside
  • Heat the mustard and regular oil and ad the cumin, nigella, fennel, fenugreek, mustard seeds followed by the dried red chillies, julienne of garlic and ginger and the onion
  • Allow the onion to sweat and turn golden brown and remove everything and keep aside
  • Add the chicken, allow this to brown on one side, flip over and brown on the other side
  • Add the turmeric and chilli powder, salt and the tomato puree
  • Mix everything well, add water, cover and cook till nice and tender
  • Fold the yogurt in