Achari Chicken | Achari Murgh

 

If you have been following my blog for a while  you know that I love a good chicken recipe. And more often than not anything chicken is very warmly welcomed at the table too. Apart from my eldest who off late has been showing an inconsistent treatment to chicken most of us love our chicken. Hence most of our Saturday lunches now are about trying a new chicken recipe for the family. However if I have to be honest, Achari Chicken was not always on the top of my mind.

It so happened that I was doing a Homemade Masala Series on my Instagram and amongst others I tried my hand at making my own Achari Masala for which I used Neha (Whisk Affairs) recipe. Only change I made was to not add salt.

Obviously I had a whole lot sitting in my pantry after. I had used it plentiful in stir-fries and curries when it occurred to me that a fieryish Achari Chicken would be perfect for our weekend meal. It really is a straightforward recipe and I use the base recipe for many vegetable curries too, like paneer, broccoli, soya chunks, cauliflower to name a few. You have got to try it one way or another :))

Some Tips To Make the Perfect Achari Chicken:

1. While dry roasting the whole spices for Achari Masala keep the flame very low and stir cotinously as the spices can burn easily on a high flame or if left alone. You know they are done when they start to release a fragrance. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes
2. Always, always , always use bone-in or boneless thighs for best results
3. Marinate overnight if possible with fresh yogurt and not sour
4. Do not rush the step for cooking onion with masalas. That is an important step to getting a luscious flavourful curry
5. This is an overall healthy dish, hence do not skip the 1 tbsp ghee in the recipe; it goes a long way in adding flavours to the curry
6. For best results use store bought tomato puree, specifically passata. It is hundred percent tomatoey goodness and nothing else. It truly elevates the final dish so much more
7. It is important to bring the refrigerated marinated chicken to bring to room temperature before adding it to the cooked masala paste as chilled chicken effects the absorption of masalas and final flavours
8. It is a great make ahead dish and tastes even better the next day
9. Throw in some cubed potatoes for a thicker curry.

Ingredients for Achaari Masala:

1. Dried red chilies- 34 numbers
2. Coriander seeds- 4 tbsp
3. Onion seeds- 4 tsp
4. Fennel seeds- 12 tbsp
5. Mustard seeds- 8 tbsp
6. Fenugreek seeds- 2 tsp
7. Cumin seeds- 12 tbsp
8. Turmeric powder- 2 tsp
9. Dry Mango powder- 8 tsp
10. Hing (asafoetida)-2 tsp

Method to make Achari Masala:

1. Heat a heavy bottomed pan and on a medium flame dry roast the red chilies, coriander, onion, fennel, mustard and cumin seeds till fragrant
2. Cool to room temperature and blend to a coarse powder along with turmeric powder, dry mango powder and asafoetida and store in an air tight container in a cool and dry place and use within 2 weeks for best results. Freeze for a longer shelf life.

Ingredients for Achari Chicken

1. Boneless Chicken Thighs- 600 grams
2. Fresh yogurt- 3/4 cup for marinade
3. Turmeric powder-1 tsp + 1 tsp
4. Red Chili powder- 1 tsp + 1 tsp
5. Ginger-gralic paste- 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
6. Mustard Oil- 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp
7. Achari Masala (prepared in above step)-1.25 tbsp + a little extra for garnish
8. Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
9. Onion seeds (Kalonji)- 1/2 tsp
10. Finely chopped onion: 1.5 cups
11. Tomato paste- 3/4 cup
12. Salt: 1.5 tsp or to taste
13. Green chilies, slit vertically- 2 or as per taste
14. Ghee- 1 tbsp
15. Julienned ginger- 1 tsp for garnish
16. Finely Chopped Coriander- 2 tbsp for garnish

Method to make Achari Chicken

1. Marinate cleaned chicken, pat dried well with a kitchen towel with fresh yogurt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste and 1 tbsp mustard oil . Do not hesitate to use your hands to massage the marinade well into the chicken. Refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours
2. Bring out of refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking
3. To prepare the masala, heat mustard oil in a heavy bottomed skillet, once oil is hot, reduce the flame to medium and add mustard seeds, onion seeds and green chilies; sauté for a few minutes until fragrant
4. Then add finely chopped onion and continue to cook until golden brown but not burnt
5. Next add, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste and cook on a low flame cook until raw smell disappears
6. Add tomato paste and turmeric powder and continue to cook until the spices are well incorporated and fat starts to release from the sides; halfway through the process add 1.5 tsp ghee and mix well
7. Once the masalas have cooked well add the marinated chicken and mix well. At this stage you can also bring the masala to room temperature(before adding chicken) and freeze for future use
8. Slow cook, uncovered on a low flame for at least 15 minutes, then add water and salt, cover and let it simmer
9. Once the chicken is cooked through turn off heat and finish off with remaining ghee, a pinch of Achari masala, julienned ginger and chopped coriander
10. Let it sit covered for 10-15 minutes after turning off the flame
11. Serve hot with some rice and daal or chapatis

Some Other Recipes With Chicken You Might Like

Masala Roast Chicken | One-Pot Meal Recipe

Chicken Bharta Wrap | Curry In A Wrap

Chicken Meatballs in Fiery Cheesy Curry

Chicken Kofta in Appe/Aebleskiver Pan | Easy & Healthy Recipe

Dhaniya Chicken | A One-Pot Meal