Books by Richard Sayce
Methi Chicken Curry Recipe (BIR):
The distinctive flavour and aroma of fenugreek (methi) make this curry stand out from the crowd. Both the leaf (ideally fresh, not dried) and seeds are used in this recipe. The whole and crushed spices added at the beginning provide an earthy foundation for the fresh ingredients added later. The addition of tangy and fresh yoghurt augments the slight bitterness of fenugreek.
You can substitute chicken with lamb or vegetables in this recipe if you want to, but I think it works best with poultry.
Serves 1-2 people. Scroll down for the video.
This Methi Chicken curry recipe is from my cookbook CURRY COMPENDIUM, and is also in my second book, INDIAN RESTAURANT CURRY AT HOME VOLUME 2. All my books are available in both physical and kindle formats.
INGREDIENTS
- 3–4 TBSP (45–60ml) Oil
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- ½ tsp Coriander Seeds (crushed)
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 Large Asian Bay Leaf, Tej Patta (optional)
- ½ tsp Fennel Seeds (optional)
- 75g Onion, finely chopped
- 1½ tsp Ginger/Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Mix Powder
SPACEHOLDER
- ¼-½ tsp Salt
- ¼-½ tsp Chilli Powder (optional)
- 3-4 TBSP Fenugreek Leaves (Methi), fresh and finely chopped
- 3 TBSP Tomato Paste
- 1 TBSP each of fresh Coriander Stalks and Leaves, finely chopped
- Pre-cooked Chicken
- 330ml+ Base Gravy
- 2 TBSP Natural Yoghurt
METHOD
- Crush the coriander seeds into small pieces with a rolling pin or pestle & mortar.
- Heat a frying pan on medium high and add the oil.
- Add the cumin seeds, crushed coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, star anise, and the optional Asian bay leaf. Cook for 30-40 seconds to infuse flavour into the oil, stirring frequently.
- Throw in the onion and fry for a couple of minutes until it begins to brown around the edges. Stir occasionally.
- Add the ginger/garlic paste and continue to cook for 20-30 seconds or until the sizzling subsides and small crackles can be heard. Stir frequently.
- Next add the mix powder, salt, and the optional chilli powder.
- Fry for 20-30 seconds, stirring diligently. If the mixture dries out add a splash of base gravy (e.g. 30ml) to avoid burning the spices and give them enough time to cook properly.
- Add the tomato paste and the fresh fenugreek leaves. Turn up the heat to high, mix together, and then fry until the oil separates and tiny craters appear around the edges of the frying pan.
- Then add the coriander stalks and the pre-cooked chicken. Coat the meat with the sauce.
- Add 75ml of base gravy and stir into the sauce. Leave to cook on high heat with no further stirring until the sauce has reduced a little, and craters form again around the edges.
- Next add a second 75ml of base gravy, stir and scrape the bottom and sides of the pan once when first added, and allow the sauce to reduce once again.
- Then it’s in with the final 150ml of base gravy. Stir and scrape the pan initially, and then leave to cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the desired consistency (medium thick) is reached.
SPACEHOLDER
- During that time, stir and scrape once or twice to mix the caramelised sauce back in, but do this only to prevent the sauce from sticking too much and burning. It’s important to let the sauce thicken and caramelise on the bottom and sides of the pan: that produces a fantastic flavour. Add extra base gravy if the sauce is becoming too thick.
- A minute or two before the end of cooking, turn the heat to low and add the natural yoghurt and fresh coriander.
- Retrieve and discard the Asian bay leaf and star anise.
- Garnish with a few fenugreek leaves and serve.
NOTES
- If you cannot find fresh fenugreek you can use 2½ tsp kasuri methi instead, but you won’t get the superior fresh flavour.
- All spoon measurements are level (1 tsp = 5ml, 1 TBSP = 15ml).
- Please visit the Misty Ricardo’s Curry Kitchen YouTube Channel for lots of Indian recipes.
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