Methi Murgh ~ Chicken with Fenugreek leaves
Today I have another methi based post. 
I cannot rave enough about today’s recipe. Outright delicious! Chicken and methi complement each other really well and I’m eternally grateful to the origins of this recipe. The key to this recipe is in the caramalized onions that are pureed along with curd forming the base of this creamy dish. An ideal do-ahead lunch/dinner party fare.
Methi Murgh Recipe
Recipe source: My recipe files
Prep: 15 mts, Cooking Time: 40 mts
Serves 5-6 persons
Cuisine: North Indian
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1 kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces
1 cup packed fresh methi leaves, add little salt+sugar+water, keep aside for 15 mts and squeeze out water
2 large onions, sliced, saute in a tbsp of oil till brown and cool
1 tsp green chilli paste (2-3 green chillis)
3/4 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tomato, pureed
1/4 cup yogurt
large pinch turmeric pwd
3/4 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp cumin pwd
garam masala pwd (2 cloves, 1″ cinnamon, 1 elaichi)
salt to taste
7-8 cashewnuts, soak in warm water and make paste
2 tbsps oil
1 Make a paste of browned onions and curd. Keep aside.
2 Heat 2 tsps oil in a cooking vessel, add the methi leaves and saute for 7-8 mts or till they turn crisp. Remove and keep aside.
3 Heat the remaining oil in the same vessel, add ginger garlic paste and green chilli paste and saute for 3-4 mts. Add turmeric pwd, red chilli pwd, cumin pwd and coriander pwd and combine.
4 Add the tomato puree and cook for 3 mts. Add the onion-curd paste and cook for another 3 mts.
5 Add the chicken pieces and combine well. Cook on medium high flame for 3-4 mts. Reduce flame, place lid and let the chicken cook till three fourth done.
6 Add the cashewnut paste, garam masala pwd and sauteed methi leaves and combine well. Add few tbsps of water if necessary at this point of time. Cook till the chicken turns soft and you get the gravy consistency of your choice. It should be a thick creamy gravy.
7 Turn off heat and serve hot with white rice, biryani, flavored rice or rotis.
By Sailu • Dec 16th, 2009 • Category: All Recipes, Curry Recipes, Featured, Greens-Leafy Vegetables, Indian Chicken Recipes, Non-Vegetarian Recipes, North Indian Recipes
Nice Recipe. The combination of chicken with methi always comes well. Thanks Sailaja garu.
Hari
Sailu Garu, that just looks absolutely delicious. gotta try it soon
Kavita
ahhhh sailaja garu…..mouth watering dish.bowl ni foto lo nundi theesukoni thinalani vundhi.
lovely recipe.. will try this asap
WOW… no words to describe how delicious it looks.
Wow sailu….thank u very much for this mouth watering recipe. adigina ventene post chesinanduku…. I’m feeling very happy. Even though…I dont eat chicken….the curry is looking very tempting. I will make it for my kids. And sailu….ur idea of adding methi in chicken is very good and it is also healthy …I think. Becos…as chicken is said to increase heat in body….at the same time methi balances as it has cooling properties. I hope…I’m right. Bye sailu….and sailu thanks a lot…at last u have updated KZ.
Why do you soak methi in salt+sugar water?
To reduce the bitterness of methi leaves.
Looks scrumptious!
Looks so appetizing!
The dish is looking very good. I am a eggetarian. Can we replace any vegetables for this?
Sure you can. Both eggs and mixed vegetables will do. If using eggs, lightly saute them in 2 tsps oil and follow rest of the procedure. If using mixed vegetables, saute them with enough ghee+oil for 7-8 mts and remove. Follow rest of the procedure.
Thanks Sailu. Wish you had blogged about the tomato coconut rice as well. Sorry I am a very greedy fan of your posts. You made my christmas and new year party planner easier. Thanks a million once again.
Nice recipe. I tried your chettinand chicken recipe. Initially others in my house were not too keen on eating a chicken recipe with curry leaves tadka, but then the taste changed their mind. It was finger licking good!!
Next I am going to try your Holiday/Rum Cake. I notice in the above pictures you show a Tomato-Coconut rice. I would love to have the recipe for it.
Hello Sailu,
The recipe sounds fab.. i m vegetarian.. can i replace chicken with paneer?? pl reply soon becoz will prepare accordingly in the coming weeknd!!! thanx in advance…
take care,
mrudula.
Yes, you can use paneer. Saute paneer in oil till lightly browned and follow the above recipe.
Hi Sailu garu..
Wow..What a fantastic site. I am your great fan. I am a beginner in cooking and this site is of real great help. keep continuing this good work. The chicken looks amazing. Will definitely try this weekend. Can I add spinach instead of mehthi. Once again..thanks!!
Anitha garu, You can use spinach too but then it will go in a totally different direction in terms of flavor. Methi lends a unique flavor to this recipe.
Hi Sailaja.,
Wonful recipe yet again.My Mom-in-law is an extensive user of methi leaves .. So when I was staying at their place, I ve learnt to use methi as much as I can. May sound funny, but I use methi even in pappu chaaru that we make everyday. My mom used methi only in dal or when she made gobhi methi which is her special dish. Yeah I used it in Chicken curry but that was a simple chicken curry with a tomato gravy. Your curry as usual looks very delicious…will try soon. Thanks a bunch. By the way I came across a nice site recently .. may be U already know abt it.. But just thought U might enjoy it as much as me…its vahrehvah.com. I like the ‘video collage’ very much. I am sure, you must be knowing all the recipes listed..but just thought u might enjoy watching them,..Thank You.. Take Care.
WOW! What an awesome pic to match the awesome prep….. I love the way u have presented it rather captured the awesome prep…. The beautiful bright colors on the background…with the richness of the delicacy itself… It is totally tempting….. Gr8 Going!!!!!!
Ash….
(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)
Hi Sailu,
I am a regular of your blog. I tried the chicken methi today and it was excellent. Thanks for sharing your time and recipes.
yeah good, its mouth watering.
Lovely recipe and lovely presentation.
Perfect flavors, looks delicious!
hi sailu
i tried to make chicken twice but somehow those spices didnt blend well with chicken. i made it with rice, rice was good but chicken tasted just soft and no taste. i cooked twice but i am missing something. can u correct me on that. we like chicken i am eager to make it best.
Kranti, which recipe are we talking about here? Didn’t quite get you.
Ms Shailu Garu,
Why do you add cashew paste? Is it to make the gravy thick or to reduce the spiciness/ effect of chillies and Garam Masala. Instead I feel you should add coconut and Khus Khus paste. That gives a different taste.
I followed the recipe (from my recipe files) which is of North Indian origin to the ‘T’. Cashewnut paste lends richness and creamy consistency to the dish.
Hello Sailu Garu,
I tried your recipe it came out good. But i didn’t get the same colour of yours? I used kashmiri chilli powder..
Do I need to use any other chilli powder for bright color?
I am not sure why you have not been able to achieve the same color. I guess, it depends on the other factors like how well the onions are caramalized, turmeric pwd, chilli pwd and color of tomatoes. I have used home made chilli pwd using red chillis that are used to prepare pickles.
Rama garu,
I followed the recipe (from my recipe files) which is of North Indian origin to the ‘T’. It lends richness and creamy consistency to the dish.
Sailu,
Prepared the dish with paneer in the morning and blogged it (http://kavithabhargav.blogspot.com/2009/12/methi-paneer.html) immediately. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Hi Sailu, Thanks a lot for this awesome recipe. We tried and liked it a lot! I need your advice on making another dish that was utter flop when I tried. I marinated Chicken breast pieces in curds, lemon juice, chilli powder, dhaniya powder, graam masala, Kasoori methi, salt for 1 full day. Then I took it out of fridge and fried it on wide open pan on high as lot of water was oozing. I continued frying on till the water evaporated and then lowered the flame and closed lid thinking that the flavors will set in and the oil might separate. But not only did oil disappear but also the chicken pieces became extremely dry! I was very disappointed. Can you suggest how to get soft and tender chicken pieces? Is there any ground rule that always helps to get soft chicken pieces?
Appreciate your advice!
Thanks.
Stars, you need to use chicken with bones when you prepare such dishes. Breast pieces will not work. To get soft chicken, marinate for at least 4-5 hrs and do not over boil the chicken.
Hi Sailu
I also did not get the color strangely. I was wondering if the quantities (such as a tsp or tbsp) used in your recipe are measured using a measuring spoon or do you just eye ball them? The reason i ask is a tsp of anything measured using a measuring tsp is very little when compared to the spoons we use in india. I would really appreciate if you can let me know.
Tara, most of the recipes are by way of ‘andaz’. I will do a post on tsp and tbsp and cups used by me. I have had many readers asking me the same query.
Hi Sailu
I am from Malaysia and I love reading food blogs and trying out recipes. I want to try the methi-murgh, however we dont have fenugreek leaves here. What can I subsitute for the leaves. Thanks for all your lovely recipes and should I try your recipes, I will certainly post a comment.
Meanwhile, happy new year to you and all your readers.
Tamenthi
Happy New Year, Tamenthi. You can use dry methi leaves called Kasuri Methi. Use about 5 tbsps for the above recipe. The use of dried methi leaves in the above recipe will differ in flavor compared to fresh methi leaves.
Hi Sailu,
Happened to reach your blog as I got the reference from Shilpa’s Aayis Recipes. Your blog is simply fantabulous. I am a mother of twin girls and am grateful to have chanced upon your Kids Zone site too… I extremely appreciate your effort in putting up these blogs together, admire you for the patience you are having in answering almost all the queries of your readers keenly. I even checked Suvastra site. You are an all rounder!!!
I tried the Methi Murg recipe and it was simply awesome. I would like to post the recipe in my blog with your kind permission. Will try more of your recipes and let you know. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for your very sweet words, Seema. Sure you can post the recipe, blogging is all about sharing.
Dear Sailu,
I tried this recipe and it turned out awesome, myself and my husband both loved it so much and did enjoy the dish very much. Taste is wonderful i just fall short of words to explain how nice it was. “Rangu Ruchi Chikadanam anni sarigaa saripoyayi” Thanks for the recipe.
I did try a few of your other recipes including Chegodilu, Gobi Manchuria, Aloo Methi, Tomato Chutney to name a few and all were successes. Never had any flop shows. Thanks to you and keep up the spirit.
hi .. i tried this, it wasn’t so tasty as ur usual andra non-veg recipes..
hi sailu..i have tried this sailu..it came out very well….thank u so much.
Sounds very nice… will give it a try soon. Thank you for the recipe
sailugaru, methi chicken try chesanu..It came out well. I followed exactly as you mentioned.
Me recipes chala baguntai ..Nenu chala try chesanu meevi. Epdu upset avvaledu results tho.They always came out well.
Keep posting many more
[...] you are far more likely to reach your full potential as a team.”Tomato Coconut Rice When I prepared Methi Chicken some weeks ago, I also prepared a Tomato rice with coconut to go with it. Posting the rice recipe [...]
hi sailu garu,
tried out the recipe looking at the tempting photo and the dish turned out really tasty .thanks for the recipe.
shilpa
There is a copy of this recipe, pictures and all on this forum
http://www.friendskorner.com/forum/f22/methi-murgh-chicken-fenugreek-leaves-170883/
some of my recipes are there too, I have asked the administrator to remove them.
Hi Sailu,
I tried this recipe and i am happy with the outcome. its just that i did not get the same color and was a little disappointed by that…and i cooked in medium heat rather than the low you mentioned and the chicken did not cook properly….i will give it one more shot…please let me know about the color variance though….
Hi Sailu, great recipe! I made this last week and it was really good. Nice picture! On my blog I posted a very Easy Chicken Fry and also Spicy Tomato Rasam to go with it. Here is the link
homemade-south-indian-food.blogspot.com/search/label/Easy%20Chicken%20Fry
hi sailaja……i tried out this recipe n it was absolutely delicious n different from the regular chicken curry…thank u …waiting for more recipes!!!
hi sailaja i tried this recipe yesterday and it came out good.thank u for posting good recipes.
Sailu garu
Good! I tried it today and it came out just like the pic you posted. I think its the cashews that thicken the gravy – im going to try and use cashews in other veg recipes also to thicken it. thnx for the recipe.
rgds
malini
Just prepared this dish yday ..first one I’m trying from your blog which I came across recently. Its the awesomest chicken curry I’ve ever made!!! came out so fantastically delicious ..I licked my whole plate clean at the end.. just couldn’t have enough
Thanks a ton.
Sailaja garu wat a mouthwatering recipe madam. Aiyooooooo. Its awesome to see itself. M going to try tis tmrw itself. I have tried all ur chicken recipes, all had been super hit. Delicious. Pls tell me how to prepare chilli chicken with green chillies. Its a request. Awesome work by u.
Hai Sailu Garu;
It looks really delicious but where can I get the methi leaves? I’m from Malaysia. Please let me know.
Thank you. Today I tried your Butter panner recipe. And it turned out very well even though I didn’t use blender. This is the first time I cooked panner. I got it from supermarket. I like it but the cubes became slightly bigger when I cooked. It’s not that hard. Is all the panner should be frozen?
Thank you again;
Gangka.
They are fenugreek leaves, Gangka garu.
Dear Sailu Garu;
Is there any substitute for fenugreek leaves? In case, if I couldn’t get them…Please suggest. Thank you.
Gangka.
You can use dry fenugreek leaves called Kasoori Methi. Use about 4-5 dessertspoons of dried leaves for the above recipe.
hi sailu,
can i try this dish with boneless chicken, do i need to precook the chicken first. pls advise.
Chicken with bones works best for this dish, Rati. No need to pre-cook the chicken. Follow the recipe.
hi sailu,
your recipe looks fantastic.today am doing hyderabadi dum biriyani…want to make this as the curry to go with biriyani…hope it comes fine.got to go and look for fenugreek leaves..am staying in kl,malaysia…keep posting new recipes..
Wonderful recipe. Slurpppp….
Hi Sailu,
Your methi chicken looks great. But why do you want to cut down on the bitterness of the methi leaves? Isn’t that what adds to the flavour? I do a methi chicken too but differently. That too is delicious.
Hi sailu
I love your site.
Most of your chicken recipes are for 1 kilo chicken
I buy 1 fresh chicken, deskinned and cleaned.
It weights approx 1.5 kg. We do not get any other size from the shop I buy from.
Does this mean I have to double the quantity of ingredients/spices
*****
I am not sure what caramalise onions mean
My understanding is
when they are transparent – they are called golden brown
caramalised means dark brown? are they to be partially brown or fully brown. I am worried I may burn them. Just how do you know when they are carmalised.
Thank you for your patience
Sarita, you do not have to double the ingredients, just slightly increase by ‘andaaz’ (eyeball). If recipe calls for 2 onions, use 3. Caramelizing onions is sauteing them beyond the ‘transparent’ stage but not black. They have to turn brown. I have put up a picture of caramelized onions in Hyderabadi ChickenDum Biryani post.
Hi Sailaja,
I have been following ur site for quite some time now…however never actually tried ur recipes…yesterday i tried ur Methi Murgh recipe (with a few tweaks to adjust our taste) and it turned out awesome…me and my hubby thoroughly enjoyed it..thanks to u..would like to mention (though its a known fact by now)…ur recipes obviously rock…btw the pictures are really tempting and appealing..love them all
keep the good work going…all the best!!
Samidha
Hi Sailu,
I have tried many recipes and it turn out good.I planning to try out this recipe but I do not want to add yogurt.Could you please tell me with which ingredient I should substitute it.
Shonu