Methi Chicken Recipe

Methi Chicken is an Indian curried dish of chicken cooked with onions, spices, herbs, tomatoes and yogurt. This mildly flavored delicious dish is healthy, easy to make and goes well with plain Basmati rice, Jeera Rice, Ghee Rice, Paratha, roti & Naan. It also goes well with brown rice, quinoa and soft cooked millets. Methi chicken gets done under 50 minutes. It is also a great make ahead option and keeps good in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Methi leaves are known as fenugreek leaves in English. These are very popular for their health benefits and are widely used in Indian cooking. The fresh leaves have a slightly bitter aroma and taste. So they are usually added to lentil dishes, curries, snacks and raita.

Though fresh fenugreek leaves are available all-round the year, they grow in abundance during the winters. Methi leaves are said to keep the body warm so they are great to eat during winters and the monsoon.

Methi chicken is one of the numerous chicken curry variations from India. It is not rich and creamy like Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala. It has a lighter & thinner gravy but is full of flavors.

This is a comforting dish which takes you back to the memories of enjoying home cooked meals, which are not heavy on spice, oil or cream.

I make my methi chicken almost the same way as any other chicken curry. But use curd/ plain yogurt along with methi leaves to impart a unique aroma to the dish. The bitter taste of the methi leaves is balanced by the curd.

We do not eat very spicy foods at home so this dish is mildly spiced. For more heat, add more green chilies.

More Chicken recipes
Chicken Jalfrezi
Chicken Vindaloo
Hariyali Chicken
Chicken Korma

How to Make Methi Chicken (Stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. Pluck methi leaves and add them to a large pot filled with water. Do not use the stalks or stems as they are mostly bitter. Rinse the leaves well well a few times and drain to a colander.

How I do: I usually sprinkle some vinegar, rest the methi leaves for 5 mins. Then leave in the water for another 5 to 6 mins. Then rinse off a few times.

2. Once drained measure them and chop a few times only. Chop the onions, chilies and deseeded tomato finely.

Cook the Chicken

3. Heat oil in a pot. Add cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and bay leaf. Saute just until they begin to sizzle.

5. Next add chopped onions and green chili. Fry evenly until they turn golden.

6. Lower the heat and add ginger garlic paste. Fry until a nice smell comes out.

7. Then add chilli powder and turmeric. Mix it well.

8. Quickly add chicken and fry for 3 to 4 mins on a medium heat.

9. Cook covered on a low flame until the chicken is slightly tender.

10. Chicken cooks in its own moisture and turns tender.

11. When the chicken is tender, add tomatoes,salt and whisked chilled yogurt. Whisk the yogurt well with a fork until smooth

12. Cover and cook on a low heat until the tomatoes dissolve completely. At this stage the chicken is fully cooked.

Make Methi Chicken

13. Sprinkle garam masala, fennel seeds and then add methi leaves. Stir and mix well. Cover and cook until the methi leaves wilt off completely.

14. Lastly add kasuri methi and pepper powder (if using). Mix and cover. Turn off the stove.

Transfer methi chicken to a serving bowl with coriander leaves or cream.

Pro Tips

Chicken: Bone-in chicken tastes best for this recipe. However you can also use boneless chicken.

Methi leaves: I usually use up to 2 cups of methi leaves for half kg chicken. This time I used about 1½ cups since that’s what I had in the fridge. The methi leaves we get here in Singapore are not very bitter so I never had a problem using so much.

But if you think the methi leaves in your place taste very bitter then add lesser. Lesser than 1½ cups may not lend a good flavor to the methi chicken.

Kasuri methi: I have always felt the flavor of methi chicken enhances with the use of kasuri methi. You may also skip it.

Whole Spices: I have used cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms and a bay leaf. You can also skip them. But use at least the cardamoms.

Curd or yogurt: Do not use sour curd as it makes the entire dish too tangy. I used this plain homemade yogurt. Whisk the chilled curd well with a fork before using in the recipe to prevent it from curdling.

Garam masala: I have used homemade garam masala. You can use any good masala you have in your pantry. I also use ¼ teaspoon of fennel seeds powder for aroma & digestion. It is optional.

How to avoid bitter taste?

Do not include the stalks and stems of methi leaves as they leave a bitter taste.

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