Chicken Achari

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg bone-in chicken, cut into 12 medium pieces, skin removed
• 200 g plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
• 1½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri or regular red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 90 ml cooking oil (or 60 ml oil and 30 ml mustard oil)
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1½ tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds (rai)
• ½ tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
• 2 dried whole red chillies
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 2 tbsp oil from a jar of mixed pickle (achar), or 1 tbsp extra oil with 0.5 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric and lemon juice. Add the chicken and turn to coat every piece. Cover and leave for 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the fridge.
2. While the chicken marinates, lightly crush the fennel, cumin, mustard, nigella and fenugreek seeds together so they are cracked but not powdered. Set aside with the dried red chillies.
3. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring often, for about 10 minutes until deep golden brown at the edges. Lower the heat if they colour too fast.
4. Push the onions to one side, add the crushed spices and dried red chillies, and stir for 20–30 seconds until fragrant. The mustard seeds may start to pop. Do not let the fenugreek darken, as it turns bitter.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and coriander powder. Cook, mashing the tomatoes with your spoon, for about 6 minutes until soft and the oil begins to separate at the edges.
6. Add the chicken with all its marinade. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes until the chicken turns opaque on the outside and the yogurt has reduced to a thick masala.
7. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add a splash of hot water only if the pan looks dry. The chicken is done when the thickest piece reaches 74°C and the juices run clear.
8. Stir in the green chillies, pickle oil, garam masala and ginger matchsticks. Cook uncovered for 3 minutes until the oil shines on top of a thick, clinging gravy. Taste and adjust the salt.
9. Turn off the heat, scatter over the fresh coriander, and rest the pan covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips

• Use full-fat yogurt and whisk it well. Cold, lumpy yogurt is more likely to split when it hits the hot pan.
• Crush the whole spices just before cooking. Their sharp, pickle-like aroma fades quickly once ground.
• Skinless chicken lets the marinade and spices get into the meat, and it keeps the gravy from becoming greasy.
• If you use jar pickle oil, taste it first. Some brands are very salty, so add the salt at the end.