METHI CHICKEN/CHICKEN WITH FENUGREEK LEAVES/HOW TO MAKE METHI CHICKEN EASY WAY

A restaurant-style methi chicken curry recipe that can be easily prepared at home.

In this recipe, the chicken pieces are cooked in creamy yogurt and spices.

The dried fenugreek leaves added give the dish a different flavor.

You can get dried fenugreek leaves easily in Indian supermarkets, so you can make this dish any time you want.

The reason I make it often is that it is easy to make, and it tastes amazing.

It is perfect for weeknights or any special occasion.

You can pair this fragrant and delicious curry with rice varieties, roti, and Indian bread varieties like idli, dosa, chapati, and naan or you can just serve it with bread.

INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS RECIPE

For the marinade: I have prepared the marinade using yogurt, red chili powder and salt.

Whole spices: I have used one piece of a cinnamon stick, cloves, black cardamom pods, green cardamom pods, bay leaf and cumin seeds. These spices give aroma and flavor to the curry. You can buy all these spices in Indian stores.

Chicken: I have used boneless chicken pieces; you can use chicken pieces with bones as well.

Onions: I have used 2 small sized onions in this recipe, and I have chopped them into very small pieces.

Ginger-garlic paste: Gives flavor and aroma to the curry. Also helps in digestion.

Green chilies: I have split them and added, if you want you can remove the seeds and add. You can increase or decrease the number of green chilies according to your taste.

Tomato: Use well-ripened tomato.

Spice Powders: Red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and mace powder are used. You can buy all these spice powders in Indian stores.

Dried fenugreek leaves (Methi): You can buy them in Indian stores.

Fresh coriander leaves: Give flavor, aroma and also make the curry colorful.

Vegetable oil: You can use any vegetable oil you like.

HOW TO MAKE METHI CHICKEN

To prepare methi chicken recipe, first marinate the chicken pieces in a marinade made of yogurt, red chili powder and salt, for half an hour to 45 minutes.

Next, heat oil over a low heat, in a thick-bottomed vessel and fry the whole spices. Then sauté the onion and ginger-garlic paste one by one. Then add the tomato pieces and green chilies and sauté. When the tomatoes are soft, add the red chili powder, turmeric powder, and the coriander powder and sauté for a minute.

Add the marinated chicken into this mixture and sauté for a few minutes. Add water and the required amount of salt and cook until the chicken is almost cooked (say 95% cooked). When the chicken is almost cooked, add the dried fenugreek leaves, garam masala powder and the mace powder, mix gently so that all the ingredients are mixed well. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked.

Sprinkle the ginger juliennes and the coriander leaves. Switch off the stove and serve hot with rice varieties, roti, Indian bread varieties like idly, dosa, chapati, naan or you can serve it with bread bread.

VARIATION

You can use fresh fenugreek leaves instead of dried fenugreek leaves.

If you are using fresh fenugreek leaves, make sure you are using only the leaves. Remove all the stems and use.

Add them into the curry sometime after adding the chicken.

You can add a heaped 1/2 cup (measured in a 250 ml cup) of leaves for this recipe.

You can add Kashmiri red chili powder, if you do not like the curry too spicy.

STEP BY STEP PICTURES

• Prepare a marinade using yogurt,1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder and salt. Marinate the chicken pieces for half an hour to 45 minutes in this marinade.

• In a thick-bottomed vessel, heat the oil over a low temperature, add the whole spices and fry for a little time (say 40 seconds).

• Add the onion pieces and sauté until transparent.

• Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for 2 minutes or until the raw smell is gone.
• Add the green chili and the tomato pieces and sauté until the tomatoes are soft.

• Then add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and the coriander powder and sauté for a minute.

• Into this mixture add the marinated chicken and sauté for few minutes (say 3 to 4 minutes).

• Add the water

and the required amount of salt and cook until the chicken is almost cooked (say 95% cooked). You can increase the temperate of the stove while cooking the chicken.

• When the chicken is almost cooked, reduce the temperature of the stove to low and add the dried fenugreek leaves,

garam masala powder

and the mace powder,

mix gently so that all the ingredients are mixed well and cook until the chicken is fully cooked. Check the amount of salt and add more if needed.

Sprinkle the ginger juliennes

and the coriander leaves.

Switch off the stove and serve hot.

Recipe Notes

If you do not have black cardamom pods, it is enough to use only green cardamom pods.

If you are using fresh fenugreek leaves, make sure all the stems are removed.

I have used boneless chicken in this recipe. You can also use chicken pieces with bones.