Methi Chicken (Fenugreek Chicken Curry)

Why I love this methi chicken curry?

If you're bored of eating the same old chicken curry, then try my bold and spicy methi chicken recipe with a unique taste. The dish just stands out with its slightly bitter sweet taste(of fenugreek), rich flavors and warm aromatics.

Also known as Methi Murgh, this fenugreek chicken curry is easy to prepare and gets done under 45 minutes. The recipe is pretty simple and made with handy pantry staples of your kitchen.

This methi chicken curry is great for meal prep. Like any other delicious meat dish, the longer this curry sits, the tastier it becomes. So make some extra to treat yourself and store.

Chicken Methi is a satisfying main dish perfect to keep you warm and cozy in winters. Fresh methi grow in plenty during winters, and it is said to have a whole lot of health benefits. We add methi to dals, curry, puri, paratha, rice, beef, keema, mutton, raita, fish and so much more!

I serve this fenugreek chicken with some butter naan or pudina paratha, nice steamed rice and salad on the side for weekend lunch or dinner.

You are going to love this healthy, protein-packed and flavorful dish for the taste and benefits it brings to the table.

*For more easy dinner, try these delicious recipes:

• Instant Pot Chicken Curry
• Mushroom Rice
• Chili Lemon Baked Tilapia
• Avocado Pasta with Chicken

Ingredients you will need

• Chicken: I use bone-in chicken (skinless) pieces for the best taste. Bone adds so much flavor to the curry recipes. Feel free to use boneless chicken thigh pieces though.
• Fresh Methi Leaves: Use fresh fenugreek leaves only. Discard the stalks as they may be more bitter and fibrous. The methi leaves that we get here in Dubai are nice tender and not very bitter, so bitterness was never an issue.
• Onion: I like to use red onion here for this recipe. We want finely chopped onion here, large bits of onion in this is a big "No" for me . You can even use food processor to chop them or grind them coarse. Feel free to use yellow onion instead of red.
• Yogurt: Full fat works well.
• Tomatoes: Sliced or chopped. I like to peel and use the tomatoes for curries. It gives nice smooth base to the gravies.
• Whole Spices: I use basic few whole spices for this recipe; using too much or too many of them may overpower the pleasant taste and flavor of fenugreek and chicken. So, you will only need, green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns and cumin seeds, that's it!
• Spice Powders: You will need red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder.
• Other Ingredients: Few other basic ingredients that you will need are garlic paste, ginger paste, chopped or crushed green chilies. You will also need some cream, sugar and lemon juice. Cream adds richness while sugar and lemon juice balances the flavor well.

How to make methi chicken?

1. I start off by heating 6 tablespoons oil in a pan. Once the oil heats up, add :

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 green cardamon
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 black cardamon
• 8-10 black peppercorns

Then, fry for few seconds until the whole spices sizzles the oil.

2. Now, add 1 teaspoon green chili crushed/chopped or paste and fry for few seconds.

3. Add 2 cups chopped onions and sauté on high heat for 3-4 minutes. The onions should be soft and just start to pick up golden color.

4. Now, add 2.2 lbs chicken on-bone pieces, 1 tablespoon garlic, ¾ ginger paste, and 1½ cup tomatoes (sliced/chopped). Sauté well on high heat for 3-4 minutes.

5. Reduce the heat and add 1 cup whisked yogurt. Immediately stir until the yogurt combines well. I always ensure that yogurt is at room temperature and whisked well as this will keep it from splitting when added to the pan.

6. Then, add:

• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder, and salt as per taste.

Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat until spices starts to release the oil.

7. Now, add ½ -¾ cup water and stir. You can absolutely increase or reduce the amount of water as per the consistency of gravy you like. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is just tender.

8. Increase the heat to high, add 2 cups chopped fresh methi leaves, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fresh fenugreek leaves just wilts.

9. Finally, add ⅓ cup cream, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 teaspoon sugar (optional). Stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

10. Dish out this delicious Hyderabad chicken methi and serve hot with naan, parathas or rice.

Expert Tips

1. Use of fresh fenugreek leaves for this recipe. But if fresh ones are not handy, then you can use dried fenugreek or kasuri methi. I do not recommend using frozen methi leaves.
   important tip : Use only 3 tablespoons of kasuri methi for 2.2 lbs chicken measure. Kasuri methi has strong aroma and flavor, adding it too much will overpower the taste of the dish.
2. To make the recipe dry version, do not add any water to the recipe. Allow chicken to cook in its own juices.
3. You can skip adding cream to the recipe. However, adding cream will only do good giving rich flavor to the dish.
4. Feel free to add tablespoonful of cashew paste to this recipe. Cream and cashew paste provides extra rich flavor to this chicken methi tasting just like Indian restaurants.

Serving Ideas

Serve this delightful fenugreek chicken with some Jeera rice, Zafrani Pulao, saffron rice or plain steamed rice. The curry tastes perfect with some nice crisp Pudina Lachha Paratha, Tawa Garlic Naan, roti or parathas.

Pair methi murgh with some Veg Pulao and Cucumber Tomato Salad for a hearty meal.

Storage

To store: Store the leftovers in a clean airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

To reheat: Reheat the curry in pan on stovetop until warm through. you may add a splash of water if needed. You can also reheat in a microwave and serve.