Achari Chicken ( Moorg Achari)

Chicken with the piclking spices.

Ingredients

750 gms Chicken washed and cleaned and chopped into medium sized pieces
3 tbsp mustard oil or  any vegetable oil
fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and onions seeds one tsp each.
or instead of it all one tbsp full panchforan (all five ingredients mixed) can be used.
3-4 green chillies ( slit them vertically)
turmeric powder 1 tsp, red chilli powder 1 tbsp and salt per taste and likings.
ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
2 medium size onions and 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
1 cup lightly beaten yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice


1/2 cup chopped coriander for garnishing

Procedure : 

Wash the chicken pieces then add salt, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste. Add 1 tbsp oil and half cup yogurt apply thoroughly all over the chicken pieces. Cover it and keep it aside for marination by the time gravy is to be prepared.
 

In a heavy bottom sauce pan add finely chopped onion, fry it untill golden brown. Turn of the heat, let it cool. Then mince onion and tomato in a mixer to make fine pure.

Now heat a pan and saute this pure until it cooks and leaves oil from edges of the pan. Add chicken pieces, stir in and mix well. Make sure the pieces are sealed and coated in the gravy.

Add a cup of water and bring the curry to a boil, then simmer covered on a low heat cook 15-20 mins until the chicken is cooked through and succulent, stirring a couple of times.

In another small pan heat 2 tbsp oil  add 3-4 green chillies and panchphoran (fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and onion seeds - kalonji). Sauté until they start to sizzle and pop for a minute or so. keep stirring to make sure they don’t burn, add a pinch of Asafoetida(hing) and now add this spicy oil to the chicken curry. Turn of the heat of pan.

Finally add 1 tbsp lemon  juice to make perfect tangy taste of the pickle. Garnished with coriander. Delicious Achari chicken is ready to serve. Though it can be served hot, tastes really good after few hours as the aroma of the panchforan, lemon and oil blends thoroughly into the chicken.

Tips :

I have used  yoghurt to make the thick gravy, which also helps to coat the chicken evenly.
You can add or reduce green chillies and red chilly powder to make this dish more or less spicy.
If this is made a little in advance the taste develops and is much nicer.
As per the name little more oil or splendid oil makes this dish real Achari. If you don't like mustard oil, then you can use olive oil or any vegetable oil.