Methi Chicken
Nov 18th, 2009 | By Sowjanya | Category: All Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Curries & Gravies, Featured recipes, Non-Veg Recipes
When it comes to food, I almost eat any vegetable. But with hubby dear, I have to be experimental to please him. This week I decided to include greens in my menu, and while I was shopping around in our neighbourhood Indian grocery store, found these fresh methi leaves in the greens aisle. Then came into mind this delicious hyderabadi curry, (murgh methi aka methi chicken) that I almost forgot to cook these days. Protein enriched chicken cooked with fresh methi leaves that are rich in calcium, potassium and iron! What more do I want other than a healthy meal that looks beautiful and tastes delicious. The curry came out so delicious that I had to help myself with multiple servings forgetting about my calorie count that I have been conscious about lately. Here is how I cooked it:
Ingredients:
Boneless Chicken – 1 ½ lb (around ¾ kg) cut into medium sized pieces
Onions – 3 medium sized (about 2 cups) – finely chopped
2 medium sized tomatoes – finely chopped & grind to a smooth paste
Cooking oil – 4 to 5 tbsps
shahi jeera (Black cumin seeds) – 1 tsp
10-12 fresh curry leaves
Salt to taste
Turmeric (pasupu) – 1 tsp
Ginger & Garlic Paste – 2 ½ tsps
Cumin powder – 1 ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 1 ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – 3 tsps (Adjust according to your taste)
1 cup of water (add more if required)
2 tbsps yoghurt – whisk it with a fork smoothly and set aside
Fresh methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) – 2 cups tightly packed (roughly chopped)
Garam masala powder – 2 tsps
2 tbsps or few freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnish
How To:
- In a wide bottomed vessel, heat oil. On low heat, add shahi jeera and fry for a few seconds. Add curry leaves, toss them and then add chopped onions, salt and turmeric. Increase the flame to medium and fry till the onions turn golden brown (around 8 mts).
- Add ginger & garlic paste and fry for 1-2 mts till the raw small disappears. Add cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, mix well. Add chicken, mix well, cover and cook for 4-5 mts stirring in between. Add tomato paste, water and bring it to boil on high flame. When the gravy starts boiling reduce the flame to medium, cover and cook for around 10 – 15 mts or till the chicken is tender and the gravy starts turning thick. By this time the oil starts floating on top of the gravy.
- Add whisked yoghurt, gently mix, add freshly chopped methi leaves, gently mix so the chicken pieces do not break. Lower the flame and allow to cook uncovered for 5 mts. Just before turning off the heat, add garam masala powder, mix well, adjust salt and chilli powder if required. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with steamed basmati rice, rotis or naan.
OMG early mrg, u are making me hungry. Lovely combo methi with chicken!
Dear Saujanya
Thanks for the recipe.I love authentic Andhra recipes and you seem to be good at them.
Very very tempting dish! love the clicks!
Sowjanya,
The recipe looks good. Instead of putting cumin/coriander/garam masala, you can choose garam masala and put 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp of nutmeg powder (jaaju kaya) and see the taste. That is the way I make it. Overall very good.
Ranga V.
Hi Soujanya ,
Thanks for a very nice recipe ,i tried it last night and it was a great hit .
Mouth watering recipe have to try tomorrow
hmm just thinking what i can make for my friends and found this receipe ( went back in time to moms cooking) will be trying it out and letting you know how it came (cross your fingers)
Hi Vishnu,
Thanks for dropping by. I’m sure you’ll like the recipe. Let me know how you liked it.
You can also try this with methi instead of methi leaves. You need to fry methi until light brown and then garnish chicken with methi and cook it for 2/3 more minitues.
This was wonderful! Used only one tsp. garam masala and thought that was plenty. Also, though I am a spicy food fiend, 1/2 tsp. of my super-spicy cayenne was just enough for me. Thank you for sharing and helping a non-Indian explore a new and delicious recipe to make at home!
Hi Valerie,
Apologize for the delay in replying. Glad you liked the recipe. hope to hear from you on other recipes too.
Hi Sowjanya,
I made this dish last night exactly d way u have said. n it turned out to be excellent. Thank u so much. It was very much like d one we eat in restaurants. God bless u..
Thanks so much vaishali for letting me know. I’m glad you liked it.