What is Achari Chicken?
Achari Chicken is a chicken curry made with ingredients used to make achaar, or South Asian pickle. So while the chicken itself isn’t pickled, it’s livened up with a zesty, tangy, ‘pickled’ flavor. Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week! Ingredients that make Achari Chicken curry different from a regular chicken curry are:
Seeds or whole spices used to make achar. Whole green chili peppers, sometimes stuffed with achari spices. Yogurt, which gives it a richer, tangy base.
In terms of method, it cooks like Chicken Karahi, in that the curry is cooked down with an extra dose of tomatoes. (For more chicken recipes, check out my collection of 15+ Pakistani & Indian Chicken Recipes.)
Notes on the Ingredients for Achari Chicken
In addition to foundational curry ingredients, Achari Chicken requires a few extra ingredients. Here are some notes on them:
Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Dana) – Fenugreek seeds are an essential ingredient for Achari Chicken. Though they give a punchy flavor, they can be quite bitter, so feel free to reduce the amount if you find it too strong. (Use leftover methi in Sarson Ka Saag or Mixed Vegetable Curry.) Nigella Seeds (Kalonji) – Nigella Sativa, not to be confused with onion seeds, are another essential ingredient. I’ve kept them minimal because they can taste quite strong. If you want them more visible throughout the curry, feel free to increase these by another 1/4 teaspoon. (More recipes that use Nigella Seeds: Haleem and Gluten-free Naan.) Fennel Seeds (Saunf) – The mild, sweeter flavor of fennel seeds helps offset some of the bitter flavors of the fenugreek and nigella. Chicken pieces: Like Karahi, Achari Chicken is made with a whole chicken that’s cut up into small to medium pieces, also called karahi cut (~18 pieces). I prefer it with bone-in chicken, but I’ve shared how to make this curry using boneless chicken below. Green Chili Peppers: Large, mild green chili peppers are sometimes stuffed with achari masala (or a blend of achari spices + lemon) and added to Achari Chicken. To keep things simple, I’ve added a few unstuffed whole chili peppers (such as Serrano or Thai chilis) toward the end of cooking. Yogurt – Use plain, whole milk (full-fat) yogurt. Yogurt substitutes: I haven’t tried these myself, but coconut milk/cream, dairy-free yogurt, or cashew paste would all work here. Oil – You can use any neutral oil, and even a bit of mustard oil if you’d like. Mustard Oil – Mustard oil, a pungent oil made from mustard seeds, is often used to make Achari Chicken. My father-in-law once told me that when he was a child, his mom used mustard oil to make curries. Here in the U.S., it’s banned for consumption due to high levels of erucic acid (Source). Though I haven’t tried it myself yet, if you’re comfortable using it, a small amount would be perfect here.
How to make Achari Chicken
Here’s what we’re trying to achieve at each step:
How to make this with boneless chicken
If using boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut them into 1.5-inch pieces. There are 3 main differences when making this with boneless chicken breast or thighs:
Variations
I would say this is a milder (but still very flavorful!) Achari chicken. Here are a few variations you may try:
Add store-bought or homemade Achari Masala along with the ground spices for more punchy flavor. A sprinkle of mustard seeds would be very befitting here. Achar oil – I wouldn’t use achar itself as I find it takes away from the nuanced flavors, but a little oil from the bottle at the end adds a nice scent and flavor.
What to serve with Achari Chicken
Because it’s on the ‘drier’ side, Achari Chicken is typically eaten with naan, roti, paratha, or other flatbread. Some say it gets better with time as the flavors have more time to develop.
More Chicken Curry recipes you’ll love
Pakistani Chicken Karahi (Easy & Authentic) The Best Authentic Chicken Korma Authentic Chicken Curry (Chicken Salan)
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