Achari Chicken

This is one of my very favorite Indian dishes.  It is also known as chicken with pickling spices.

There are 3 distinct steps in this recipe, but each is simple once you have set out all of your various spices.

Marinade

1 lb or so chicken parts.  (I think dark meat works better)

1/2 t salt

1/2 t tumeric

1 t Kashmiri chili powder

1 t ginger/garlic paste  (equal parts finely minced garlic and ginger)

1/2 c yogurt, whipped with a fork

Combine all ingredients after chicken until well blended. Add chicken parts and mix well and marinate for at least 1 hour.

Spice Paste

1 t coriander seeds

1 t cumin seeds

1/2 t mustard seeds

1/2 fenegreek seeds

1/4 t nigella or black onion seeds

Toast in a dry skillet until fragrant, let cook and grind into a powder and set aside

Cooking

3 T neutral oil or ghee

1 large onion sliced

Cook in a pan (arge enough to hold onions AND chicken with room to spare) until brown and beginning to crisp up.  Go longer than you think, it is the brown-ness that gives depth to the finished product.

Add to browned onions

handful of curry leaves

1 T garlic/ginger paste

1/2 t tumeric

Now add chicken and stir in a small can of diced tomatoes (14 oz, max for 1 lb chicken).  Cover and cook on lower heat until chicken is semi-tender.  Uncover cook until the oil separates.

Add to chicken

1/2 t salt

the reserved spice powder

2.5 t Kashmiri chili powder

handful of chopped cilantro

handful of chopped mint leaves

about 2 c of water or chicken stock

Simmer until the chicken is tender and soft.  Add in either 1 t amchur powder or juice of 1 lemon

Serve with rice and a side vegetable.  

This will quickly become your go to Indian dish.  Once you have all the spices, it is very easy to make and doubles nicely as well.  Only caution is to taste your Kashmiri chili powder first, sometimes it is quite mild, other times very spicy.  If yours happens to be spice, cut back on it to your spice level, if you are a chili head, hey, go for it, just don't overwhelm the other spices.  This should have a kick, but also a well rounded undertone of sour and savory flavors.