METHI MURGH RECIPE – Methi Chicken Curry – Fenugreek Chicken

Methi Murgh is  just ordinary chicken curry flavored with fenugreek leaves… Methi Murgh/Chicken with fenugreek leaves is quite a popular dish in India, the flavor of fenugreek leaves blends in this creamy gravy, making it the best combo for piping hot steamed basmati rice or naan.. with my favorite being with flaky parottas.  There are many versions to this recipe, some use fresh fenugreek leaves while some add dried… but tastewise both are equally good, i like to add kasuri methi(dried fenugreek leaves) as its a quick fix to make ordinary chicken curry into something extraordinary!

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To begin- marinate the chicken in little turmeric powder, salt and yogurt. Keep this aside may be… about 15 minutes. Also make a paste with cashew nut and little lukewarm water and keep aside too.

Heat oil in a big pan, i like my pressure cooker pan which would apt for this gravy. Season with all the whole garam masalas (bay leaf + cinnamon + cloves + cardamom + star anise + cumin seeds) and saute for few seconds. Now add the crushed dried methi leaves and fry for few seconds, followed by chopped onions, green chilies and ginger garlic paste. The onion needs to be fried till they are translucent.

Add in marinated chicken with the yogurt juice and cook for few minutes.

Now add in all the spice powder – (Turmeric powder + Coriander powder + Chili powder (kashmiri chili powder for color) + Black pepper powder + salt) Keep frying until the raw masala smell goes away, it may thicken and coat the chicken pieces and slowly the oil will separate from the mixture.

Now add in chopped tomatoes along with water. Bring  to one boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes over low flame. (I ‘ve used boneless chicken which kind of cooks very fast, if using chicken with bones give it some extra time to cook thoroughly. You may also pressure cook for 1 whistle to cut down on the time)

Once the chicken is fully cooked and gravy slightly thicken, add in the cashew paste and stir. Simmer until desired thickens.

Once done, switch off and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot topped over plain steamed basmati rice, any mild pulao, naan or parotta!

Notes

• Serves 3-4 adults
• Boneless chicken is just my choice for this gravy as its easy, cuts down on the cooking time. If using chicken with bones (legs, thighs and other parts) give enough time to cook them thoroughly.
• Fresh fenugreek / Methi leaves can be used instead of dried… but will be slightly strong compared to the dried but no compromise in taste though!
• Yogurt gives creamy texture and thicken the gravy to a bit, so just thick yogurt.
• A little dried fenugreek goes a long way, so adjust according to your taste.
• Kashmir red chili powder gives good color and the required mild heat for the gravy. If you prefer more spicy then use regular chili powder 1/2 teaspoon.