Indulge in the rich and spicy flavors of Achari Chicken—a beloved chicken curry dish made with a unique blend of pickling spices for a tangy, zesty taste.
In this Post:
- Ingredients you need
- How to make Achari Chicken?
- Tips for Recipe
- What to serve with Achari Chicken?
- More Curry Recipes
Achaar chicken is a quick chicken curry that uses pickle spices in the curry, which gives this dish its unique taste.
The chicken is not pickled or marinated. Rather, we use achaar masala or pickling spice blend in the base of the curry.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Achari Chicken is a delicious curry made with pickling spices and yogurt!
- Tangy and flavorful curry with a simple spice blend
- Ready in 30 minutes – perfect for a weeknight
- Serve it with roti or rice.
What is Achaar Masala
Achaar masala is a powdered spice blend used to make pickles. It is made with flavorful spices such as mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and fenugreek, along with other spices.
Achaar masala is typically tangy, a little spicy, and salty.
You’ll find achaar masala in South Asian grocery stores or online.
Once you have it, you can use it for other vegetable curries or use it to make Indian pickles.
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more Pakistani chicken curry recipes, here are some of our favorites:
- Chicken Ka Salan: Pakistani Chicken Curry Recipe
- Karahi Chicken: Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce
- Chicken Channa Masala
- Palak Chicken: Chicken and Spinach Curry
Ingredients & Notes
- Achar masala – the star of this recipe is achaar masala, or pickling spice. It is a blend of flavorful spices such as mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and fenugreek. They make for a flavorful spice blend and the perfect complement to this chicken dish.
- Chicken – we prefer to use bone-in, skinless chicken for this recipe. If you prefer, you can swap it with boneless chicken.
- Oil (neutral) – any neutral oil you have will work – we often use canola or avocado oil.
- Yogurt – make sure to use room-temperature yogurt. Cold yogurt will curdle when added into the curry. Whole milk yogurt is ideal for this recipe.
- Crushed Tomatoes – Crushed tomatoes will make this a quicker recipe. You can swap with fresh, chopped tomatoes, but cooking will take longer.
- Ginger-Garlic Paste – or equal parts crushed ginger and crushed garlic. This paste is a popular pantry item for Pakistani and Indian food. We love making a big batch of ginger garlic paste at home and having it ready in the fridge.
How to make Achaari Chicken
In a pot, add oil on medium heat, add the chopped onion, and cook till light pink/transparent. Make sure it does not turn golden.
Add ginger & garlic paste, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken and cook till no longer pink.
Add the crushed tomato and mix well. Add room-temperature yogurt (if it is cold, it will curdle). Mix well till well incorporated.
Add the achaar masala, kalonji, crushed coriander, and salt and mix till well incorporated. If needed, add ¼-½ cup water and cook covered till chicken is tender and oil separated.
Garnish with julienne ginger, sliced green chili, and lemon juice (optional) before serving.
Serve with hot naan or tandoori roti.
Recipe Tips
- Use bone-in, skinless chicken for a more flavorful curry. Boneless chicken will work in a pinch as well. Make sure to adjust the cooking time as required.
- Ensure the yogurt is at room temperature before adding it to the curry base. Cold yogurt will curdle.
What to serve with Achaari Chicken?
This achaari chicken curry is a delicious main dish with warm chapati, tandoori roti, or plain Basmati rice.
If you’re looking for side dishes that pair well with this dish, here are some of our favorites:
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more Pakistani curry recipes, here are some of our favorites:
- Easy Chicken Keema Curry
- Aloo Gosht Ka Salan
- Kofta Curry: Pakistani Beef Meatball Curry
- Korma: Chicken braised in a Yogurt sauce
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Achaar Chicken
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken (bone-in)
- ½ cup Oil
- 1 Onion, large, diced 2 medium onions
- ¾ cup Yogurt
- ½ cup Crushed tomato
- 2 tablespoons Ginger-garlic paste
- 3 tablespoons Achar masala
- ¾ teaspoon Kalonji (Nigella seeds)
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, crushed
Garnish (optional)
- Julienne ginger
- Sliced green chili or you can use slit chili
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- In a pot, add oil on medium heat, add the chopped onion, and cook till light pink/transparent. Make sure it does not turn golden.
- Add ginger & garlic paste, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add chicken and cook till no longer pink.
- Add the crushed tomato and mix well. Add room-temperature yogurt (if it is cold, it will curdle). Mix well till well incorporated.
- Add the achaar masala, kalonji, crushed coriander, and salt and mix till well incorporated. If needed, add ¼-½ cup water and cook covered till chicken is tender and oil separated.
- Garnish with julienne ginger, sliced green chili, and lemon juice (optional) before serving.
- Serve with hot naan or tandoori roti.