Chicken With Fenugreek Leaves

Methi murgh — tender chicken in a fragrant, mildly spiced gravy lifted by the distinctive, faintly bitter perfume of fenugreek leaves. A comforting North Indian home-style curry that tastes like it came from a very good kitchen.

Why this works

• Fresh or dried fenugreek leaves (methi) give the dish its signature aroma — earthy, faintly bitter and utterly distinctive.
• Building the base slowly — onions cooked down properly, then ginger, garlic and spices bloomed in the oil — is where the depth comes from.
• Finishing with a little cream or yoghurt rounds the gravy and softens the edges of the spice.

Ingredient notes and swaps

• Chicken thigh — on the bone for the most flavour, or boneless for ease.
• Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) — crush between your palms as you add it to release the aroma; fresh methi if you can find it.
• Onions — cooked low and slow to a deep gold; the backbone of the gravy.
• Ginger, garlic and green chilli — the aromatic trio.
• Cream or yoghurt — a spoonful at the end for richness; stir yoghurt in off the heat so it does not split.

Chicken With Fenugreek Leaves

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This is a savoury, aromatic North Indian curry characterised by a unique, slightly bitter, and earthy flavour from the fresh fenugreek leaves. The bitterness is balanced by cream and spices, resulting in a rich, slightly sweet, and flavourful dish.

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Prep Time 23 minutes mins

Cook Time 41 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 4 minutes mins

Servings: 2 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Calories: 1010

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

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• 2 Chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
• 1 Tsp Ground Turmeric
• 1 Tsp Garam Masala
• 1 ½ Tsp Sea Salt
• 200ml Single cream
• 5Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
• 6 large Garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 20g Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 Onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 Green Chillies, chopped
• 100g fresh Fenugreek, mostly leaves freshly chopped
• 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 Tsp Ground Coriander
• 80g Baby Spinach

Method

 

1. Place the Chicken pieces in a large bowl along with half the Turmeric, all the Garam Masala, ½ Tsp Salt and the 4 Tsp of Cream
2. Mix well to combine, then cover the bowl and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours
3. Whilst the Chicken is marinating heat a frying pan with 1 Tbsp of Oil and fry the Onions until golden
4. Set aside
5. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C fan
6. Spread the marinated Chicken out on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes
7. Heat the remaining Oil in a pan, add the Cumin Seeds and fry for about 30 seconds
8. Add the Garlic and Ginger and fry for about 2 minutes
9. Add the remaining Turmeric, Ground Cumin, Ground Coriander and the remaining Salt
10. Stir for a minute then add the Fenugreek Leaves, Spinach and Green Chillies
11. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring well
12. Add the fried Onions and remaining Cream
13. Bring to a simmer, then add the cooked Chicken
14. Stir well and serve with Basmati Rice and Naan Bread

Nutrition

Calories: 1010kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 58gFat: 76gSaturated Fat: 28gSodium: 200mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8g

Notes

Keep a close eye on the onions during frying. They should be beautifully golden and caramelised, as this develops a deep, sweet flavour that will be essential to the curry base later on. Avoid burning them, as this will introduce an unwelcome bitterness.
Avoid overcooking the chicken in the oven at this stage. It's meant to be partially cooked, firming up and developing some texture before being added to the sauce. It will finish cooking in the curry, so take care not to dry it out.

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Tips for success

• Do not rush the onions — a proper deep-gold base is everything in a curry like this.
• Bloom the ground spices in the oil for a minute to wake them up before the liquid goes in.
• Add the kasuri methi towards the end so its aroma stays fresh and fragrant.
• Let the curry rest for ten minutes before serving; it deepens as it sits.

Make ahead, storage and reheating

• Make ahead — like most curries, better the next day.
• Storage — keeps three days in the fridge.
• Freezing — freezes well for up to three months; thaw and reheat gently.

What to serve it with

• With basmati rice or warm naan to mop up the gravy.
• A simple kachumber salad and a spoon of yoghurt on the side.

FAQ

Where do I find fenugreek leaves? Dried kasuri methi is in most supermarkets’ world-food aisle and every Asian grocer; fresh methi turns up in Asian greengrocers.

Is it very spicy? No — it is fragrant rather than fiery. Adjust the green chilli to taste.

Can I use chicken breast? You can, but thigh stays far juicier in a simmered gravy.

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