Recipe- Mouthwatering Achari Chicken

‘Achari Chicken’ – isn’t the name enough for making the lips smack? From steaming basmati rice to tasty buttered naan, this amazing North Indian delicacy can team up with each and everything perfectly.

Ingredients

Chicken – 1 kg
Onion – 5 medium-sized
Curd – 1 cup
Tomato – 4 medium-sized
Ginger paste – 1 tablespoon
Garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
Lemon – 2
Whole green chilies – 3
Amchoor powder – 1 teaspoon
Roasted cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
Red chili powder – 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder – 2 teaspoons
Cinnamon – one 2” stick
Cloves – 5
White pepper – 1 teaspoon
Cooking oil – 1 tablespoon
Salt – as per taste
Curry leaves – 3 to 4
Fresh coriander / cilantro leaves
Mustard oil – 2 tablespoons
Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds – 2 teaspoons
Fenugreek / methi seeds – 2 teaspoons
Kalonji / Nigella seeds – 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds / jeera – 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds / saunf – 3 teaspoons
Green chilies – 2
Dry red chilies – 2

Method

* At first, prepare the marinade for the chicken. Take a grinder and put whole green chilies, white pepper, cinnamon, cloves, salt and curry leaves in it. Grind altogether till a fine powder is formed. If you wish, you can also use a mortar and pestle for this purpose.

* Now, transfer the pepper-chili powder to a mixing bowl and add ginger paste, garlic paste, roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder (1 teaspoon only), amchoor powder and red chili powder to it separately. Pour a little cooking oil into it and squeeze the lemon carefully. Also, beat the curd and add it to the bowl. Take a wooden spoon and mix all the ingredients well. Keep the bowl aside and prepare the chicken for the marinade.

* In order to make achari chicken, you can use any part like breast, legs, thighs, etc. of the chicken. Just make sure that it is completely skinless. Once the chicken pieces are cleaned and washed properly, put them into the mixing bowl and cover with the spice mixture uniformly. Place the bowl inside the refrigerator and wait at least half an hour before taking it out.

* In the meantime, prepare the tadka masala for your dish. Take a small skillet and set it over medium heat. Add both mustard oil and vegetable oil to it. As soon as the oil mixture is burned out, put mustard seeds, methi seeds, jeera, kalonji, saunf, dry red chilies and slit green chilies in it. After a few minutes, all the ingredients will start to splutter. Then, turn the heat off and keep the skillet aside.

* Now, start cooking your marinated chicken. Place a large wok over medium heat and pour rest of the cooking oil into it. Chop up the onions finely and add to the heated oil. Sauté until they become light brown. Then, put the chicken pieces in it and cook for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Add rest of the turmeric powder, a little red chili powder and salt to it. Keep the flame high enough so that the chicken gets a golden brown color.

* Cut the tomatoes into thin long pieces and add them to the wok. Stir the entire thing occasionally. Also, sprinkle oil over the chicken pieces from time to time in order to maintain their tenderness.

* Take the wok out of the heat and shift the cooked item to a serving platter. Squeeze another lemon and spread shredded cilantro or coriander leaves. Finally, pour the tadka masala over the entire thing and your lip-smacking achari chicken is ready!