Achari Chicken

This tangy, vibrant chicken curry is inspired by the bold spices used in traditional Indian pickles—mustard, fennel, and nigella seeds lending a warm, zesty depth. It is not fiery, just delightfully spiced and aromatic. Perfect for when you want a weekday curry that tastes like a celebration of India’s pickling tradition. Perfect with rice for a complete, comforting meal. Keep any remaining Achari spice blend in an airtight jar and use it at another time! If you have the time, you can marinate the chicken and keep it refrigerated over -night or for a few hours before cooking the sauce. Asafoetida is a spice with a strong onion-garlic aroma that mellows into a savoury, umami flavour when cooked.

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Ingredients

diced chicken breast 400 g
natural yoghurt 1 tbsp
ginger & garlic paste 2 tsp
fennel seeds 1 tsp
cumin seeds 1 tsp
black mustard seeds ½ tsp
black peppercorns ½ tsp
nigella seeds ½ tsp
ground turmeric 2 tsp
asafoetida ¼ tsp
onion 2 (chopped)
bay leaf 1
ground coriander 1 ½ tsp
chopped tomatoes 200 g (chopped)
green chillies 1 (sliced)
basmati microwave rice 500 g
ginger ½ (sliced)
fresh coriander 1 handful (chopped)
ground fenugreek ¼ tsp

Method

Marinate the chicken

Combine the diced chicken breast with the natural yoghurt, half the ginger & garlic paste and a pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the Achari spice blend and sauce.

Prepare the Achari spice blend

In a pan, dry toast the fennel seeds, half the cumin seeds , black mustard seeds and black peppercorns over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
Cool, then grind to a coarse powder.
Stir in the nigella seeds, half the ground turmeric and asafoetida. Set aside.

Cook the sauce

Chop the onions.
Heat a dash of oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the bay leaf and the rest of the cumin seeds and fry for 25–30 seconds. Add the onions and cook for 8–10 minutes until golden brown.
Scoop out the bay leaf and discard it.
Add the rest of the ginger & garlic paste and cook 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp water if needed to prevent sticking. Lower the heat and stir in the ground coriander, and the rest of the ground turmeric with a splash of water and cook for 2 minutes.

Cook Tomatoes

Add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook for 7 - 8 minutes, until mushy and the oil starts to separate out on top. If you like you can add a pinch of optional Kashmiri chilli powder at this stage.
Add the chicken and fry on a high heat 2–4 minutes until the outer layer changes colour.
Lower the heat and add 2 tsp Achari spice blend, and mix well.

Simmer

Add 50ml warm water per serving (200ml for 4 people, 100ml for 2 people), cover, and cook on low heat for 8–10 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Cook the rice, finish the dish & Plate Up

Cook the basmati microwave rice according to the packet instructions.
Thinly slice the ginger into matchsticks, chop the fresh coriander.
If you like you can add some optional sliced green chillies to the chicken,then sprinkle over some more Achari spice blend.
Garnish the chicken with the ginger and coriander, then plate up with the rice and enjoy.

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