Methi Chicken

5 from 7 votes

Methi Chicken, also called Murgh Methi, is a flavorful, healthy chicken curry with the unique flavor of fresh fenugreek leaves. This simple chicken curry is easy to make and a comforting weeknight dinner everyone will love!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Keyword: methi chicken, methi malai chicken, methi murgh

Diet: Gluten-free, Low Carb

Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop

Servings:

Author: Meeta Arora

Ingredients

1 pound Boneless Chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoon Mustard oil or any vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoon Ghee
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
1 Bay leaf
2 cup Onion chopped
1/2 tablespoon Ginger grated
1/2 tablespoon Garlic minced
1 cup Tomato chopped
2 Green Chili Pepper slit in half
2 cup Methi (Fenugreek leaves) tightly packed, chopped
1/4 cup Yogurt
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 Lime juice

Spices

1 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
2 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder adjust to taste

Instructions

Stovetop Method:

Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat. Add oil to it, and let it heat. If using mustard oil, heat the oil till it smokes. Then add ghee and let it heat.
Add the bay leaf and cumin seeds. Sauté for about 30 seconds so they release thier aroma.
Add chopped onions. Sauté for about 10 minutes until the onions are golden.
Add ginger and garlic, and sauté for another minute.
Add tomatoes, spices, and stir well. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes soften. Then remove the lid and stir the onion tomato masala. Oil should be leaving the sides of the pan.
Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until the chicken pieces are all white on the outside.
Cover and cook the chicken on low heat for 10 minutes. Stir a few times in between. Then, remove the lid.
Add methi leaves and mix them until they wilt. Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
Change the heat to low, then add the yogurt. Cook on low heat for around 3 minutes while stirring continuously.
Add green chili peppers, garam masala, and lime juice. Taste and adjust salt. Mix everything together and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Methi Chicken is ready. Serve it hot with fresh roti or naan.

Instant Pot Method:

Follow the instructions to cook the curry base of onions and tomatoes. Then add the chicken and saute for 3-4 minutes until the chicken turns white on the outside.
Then add 2 tablespoons of water and deglaze the pot, making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Pressure cook for 3 minutes on high pressure. Then, quick release the pressure.
Then follow the steps to add methi leaves and then yogurt, as in the stovetop recipe. Add green chili peppers, garam masala, and lime juice. Mix everything together and cook on saute mode for 3-4 minutes. Methi Chicken is ready.

Video

Notes

Methi Leaves: If available, use fresh methi leaves. However, if it is not the season, you can use frozen methi leaves in this recipe.

Wash the Methi: Before you chop the methi leaves, wash them well to remove any dirt.

Chicken: I used boneless chicken thighs in this recipe. Chicken breasts, or bone-in chicken, or chicken drumsticks will work well too.

Adjust spice level: You can adjust the heat by adding more or less chili powder according to your taste.

Marinate Chicken: I did not marinate the chicken, but if you prefer, you can marinate the chicken with the yogurt and spices specified in the recipe. Then, skip the steps to add those ingredients.

Using Dried Kasoori Methi: The flavor of fresh methi leaves is mild, while that of kasoori methi is very strong. Hence, if you want to use dried fenugreek leaves in this recipe, I would suggest using 3 tablespoons instead of the fresh methi leaves.

Nutrition