Achari Murgh
Achari Murgh is a bold, aromatic chicken curry with the distinctive tang of pickle spices balanced by yogurt and tomato. The gravy is thick and glossy, with warm heat, gentle bitterness from fenugreek, and a fragrant finish of fennel, mustard, and fresh coriander.
Ingredients
Chicken and marinade
- 500 gbone-in chicken, skin removed, cut into medium pieces
- 120 gplain full-fat yogurt
- 20 gginger-garlic paste
- 6 gKashmiri chili powder
- 2 gground turmeric
- 5 gsalt
Achari masala
- 6 gmustard seeds
- 2 gfenugreek seeds
- 5 gfennel seeds
- 2 gnigella seeds
- 3 gcumin seeds
- 5 gcoriander seeds
Curry base
- 20 gneutral oil
- 120 gonion, finely sliced
- 180 gtomato, finely chopped
- 2 small (10 g)green chilies, slit
- 120 mlwater
- 10 gfresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 2 ggaram masala
- 10 mllemon juice
Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken dry. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, and salt, then coat the chicken thoroughly. Let it stand while you prepare the masala; this short marinade improves flavour and helps the chicken stay tender.
- 2
Set a heavy pan or karahi over low heat. Dry-toast the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Do not let the fenugreek darken too much or it will turn bitter. Coarsely crush the toasted spices in a mortar or spice grinder.
- 3
In the same pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and deep golden. Well-browned onions build the body of the gravy, but reduce the heat if they start catching.
- 4
Add the chopped tomato and slit green chilies. Cook for 5-6 minutes, pressing the tomatoes as they soften, until the oil begins to separate at the edges and the mixture becomes jammy.
- 5
Add the marinated chicken and all of its marinade to the pan. Increase to medium-high heat and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring to seal the chicken and cook off the raw yogurt smell.
- 6
Stir in the crushed achari masala and cook for 1 minute so the spices bloom in the fat. Add the water, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook over low-medium heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through and tender. The thickest piece should reach at least 75°C and the gravy should be thick, glossy, and lightly clinging.
- 7
Uncover and finish with the garam masala, lemon juice, and chopped fresh coriander leaves. Simmer 1 minute more, then rest off the heat for 3 minutes before serving so the achari flavours settle and round out.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For a sharper pickle-like flavour, add an extra 5 ml lemon juice at the end rather than increasing fenugreek, which can make the curry bitter.
- •Bone-in chicken gives the best flavour and stays juicier in the short cooking time; if using boneless thigh, reduce the covered simmer by about 3-4 minutes.
- •Serve with a simple cucumber salad or sautéed greens for a low-carb meal.
Background
Achari Murgh is a Pakistani chicken curry inspired by the spice profile of South Asian pickles, or achar. Its signature flavour comes from mustard, fenugreek, fennel, and nigella seeds, which create a tangy, aromatic, slightly sharp masala without needing actual pickle in the pan.
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