Achari Chicken - Pakistani Chicken Curry with Pickling Spices - Rookie With A Cookie (2024)

Achari Chicken. The name of the dish gives the flavors away. It's spicy, zesty and smells as fragrant as the Achar pickle we all love to add to our less spicy food--I'm thinking this masoor daal chawal recipe.

Achari Chicken has all the same components and techniques of cooking a really good Karahi. The thick masala is made with onion and tomato (although many recipes omit the tomato) and yogurt is added as a tenderizer. Yogurt is key because it balances the tartness from the pickling spices and cuts down on the zesty element a bit. We're using spices that go in your favorite achar including fennel (saunf), mustard, nigella (kalonji) and fenugreek (methi dana) seeds. When coarsely crushed (minus fenugreek), they release the aroma and flavor that add that authentic Achari taste to the Karahi.

Can I substitute the Spices?

The short answer is no. If you look at the ingredients printed on a jar of Achar Pickle, you'll notice it calls for the same set of spices. I try to be as close to that list as possible. The ingredients should be relatively easy to source if you have a South Asian grocery store nearby. Also, the spices are MUCH cheaper at a South Asian store; the local stores seriously rip you off for the quantity they sell. I would recommend making a trip and getting a pouch of fennel, nigella, mustard, fenugreek, turmeric and kashmiri red chilli. These may be harder to find at your local stores anyway and will last you a very long time because they're used sparingly but have a very profound and noticeable flavor.

Can I marinate the meat beforehand to save time?

Absolutely! A lot of recipes will have you marinate the chicken or beef in yogurt and spices beforehand and you can definitely do that with this recipe as well. I make my Karahi a few different ways and truthfully, all the recipes call for yogurt that you can use earlier on in the dish and prepping process. If you look at my Chicken Karahi, my Special Chicken Karahi and my Boneless handi, you will see how I use yogurt in different stages of the cooking process. In my very popular Chicken Karahi, I add yogurt + the spices almost immediately after I add the chicken without allowing the chicken to change color. This is similar to how you would marinate the chicken before hand. In my Boneless Handi, another recipe that got really good feedback, I use yogurt in a similar way but in that recipe I prepared the tomato and onion masala before adding the chicken (I love this technique). In my Special Karahi, I add yogurt at the last step after the chicken has cooked completely and have to admit I love how the Karahi gets a more full-bodied flavor. I picked this technique from YouTube videos of streetside dhaba restaurants and noticed how they always added yogurt towards the end of the dish. I would recommend recreating some of my other recipes and deciding what you like doing more.

Is there a Simplified version of this recipe?

For a simplified version, we can marinate the chicken in yogurt and spices. In fact below is the recipe I now fall back on.

Add yogurt to clean chicken and add the following spice mix:

• • 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili
  • ½ teaspoon regular red chili for heat
  • 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground crushed fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground all spice
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon nigella seeds

In this version, I also omit onions and simply cook the raw chicken for a few minutes until no longer pink, add ginger garlic paste then add 8-10 peeled tomatoes, pureed in a blender. This tastes incredible and also saves time by prepping ahead!

How can I get the oil to separate from the Karahi?

For a Karahi, or pretty much any curry made in South Asia, the oil must separate. With the right quantity of oil and a good amount of stirring on high heat (called "bhoonna"), the oil should separate within a short time. If it doesn't separate and you've been at it for a while, the culprit may just be that you don't have enough oil to begin with. Skimping on oil will result in a Karahi that just didn't reach its full potential. I can understand health reasons may require us to make some tough choices and unfortunately, a Karahi just needs a good amount of oil. I always say to add enough oil and then make sure that when you serve you strain the masala a bit. Shake it gently to not plate out too much oil.

More Recipes