Methi Chicken ( chicken cooked with fenugreek leaves)

Methi Chicken has been one of my go-to recipes when I am in a rush and want to cook some chicken and make it quick.This dish also gives me my protein and vegetable in one pot ( without too many dishes to clean after cooking).I always have frozen methi leaves in my freezer and most of the time have some chicken with my basic marination of lemon,salt and pepper. The recipe below though has been made with fresh methi leaves as I recently had been to the Indian store.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Chicken : 2 lbs
Methi ( fenugreek) leaves: 1 small bunch
Oil : 1 tbsp ( I use coconut oil)
Onions: 2 medium chopped fine
Ginger-garlic paste: 1tbsp
Green chillies: 4-6medium ( depending on your spice level)chopped fine
Haldi(turmeric): 1tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Yogurt : 1/2 cup
Cilantro leaves: 1 tbsp chopped fine
Salt to taste

Method:

Clean chicken, cut it into medium size pieces and keep aside.

Pluck methi leaves from it's stems, clean and keep aside.

Heat a sauté pan with 1tbsp oil, add chopped onion and sauté until they start turning golden brown. Now add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add chopped green chillies, haldi and sauté for a minute. Add cleaned chicken pieces and sauté for 3-4 minutes.Add yogurt, mix well.Add the cleaned methi( fenugreek leaves), salt. Mix well, cover and let it simmer for 15-20 mins on low flame until the chicken & methi leaves are cooked. Add garam masala, mix well.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve hot with basmati rice or roti.

Cooking made easy:

While cooking chicken, generally there is no need to add additional water as the chicken leaves water. Therefore just keep the flame low and let it cook in its own juices. Add water at the end if needed.

Methi (fenugreek) leaves should always be plucked and not chopped. According to my mother, apparently chopping methi leaves makes it more bitter.

Freshly chopped ginger & garlic can be used in this dish instead of the paste.

Frozen methi (fenugreek) leaves can be used instead of fresh ones in the above recipe. If using frozen methi leaves, use 1 cup for the above recipe.

Tip for healthy living:

For centuries fenugreek leaves and seeds have been used in Indian cuisine and have been known for its medicinal properties. It apparently aids in digestion, helps blood purification and helps lower/maintain blood sugar levels in diabetics. It also apparently facilitates labor and helps enhance breast milk production. There is no conclusive scientific evidence for any of these claims.

 Food for thought: 

Knowledge is Power ( Francis Bacon)