Name: Methi Chicken
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil; 2 onions, thinly sliced into half moons; 1 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece of cassia bark; 2 green cardamom pods; 1 clove garlic; 1 Indian bay leaf (tej patta); 2 dried red chiles; 2 pounds 3 ounces (1 kg) boneless skinless chicken thighs; 2–2½ inch (5–6 cm) piece of fresh ginger, grated; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tsp. ground turmeric; 1 Tbsp. ground coriander; Scant 1 cup (200 g) full-fat Greek-style yogurt; 1 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves (kasur methi); 1 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. chile powder; 4 Tbsp. tomato paste; ½ tsp. sugar; 4 Tbsp. heavy cream (do add if you can!); Handful of fresh cilantro leaves

Methi chicken—Indian chicken flavored with fenugreek—on two jadecolored plates and a flowered tablecloth.

Photo by Laura Edwards

The earthy flavor of dried fenugreek gives this chicken dish its distinctive flavor. The base is a rich combination of yogurt and tomato. This is a great dish to cook when entertaining if there is no room to seat a lot of people, as the boneless chicken thighs make it easy for people to stand to eat and not need to use a knife. When my mother wanted to be a bit more indulgent, she would add a big dollop of white unsalted butter and a drizzle of thick cream. Feel free to add that extra touch to this dish. The beautiful orange-red gravy goes really well with a rice pulao.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Ammu' by Asma Khan. Buy the full book on Amazon. This book was selected as one of the best cookbooks of 2022.

Recipe information

Yield
Serves 6

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 onions, thinly sliced into half moons

1 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece of cassia bark

2 green cardamom pods

1 clove garlic

1 Indian bay leaf (tej patta)

2 dried red chiles

2 pounds 3 ounces (1 kg) boneless skinless chicken thighs

2–2½ inch (5–6 cm) piece of fresh ginger, grated

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1 Tbsp. ground coriander

Scant 1 cup (200 g) full-fat Greek-style yogurt

1 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves (kasur methi)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chile powder

4 Tbsp. tomato paste

½ tsp. sugar

To garnish (optional)

4 Tbsp. heavy cream (do add if you can!)

Handful of fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot over medium–high heat. Add the onions and fry, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until golden brown and caramelized. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions, leaving as much of the oil in the pan as possible, and place on a plate to drain. Spread the onions across the plate so they crisp as they cool.
Step 2
Add the cassia bark, cardamoms, clove, bay leaf, and red chiles to the pan, then add the chicken and cook over medium–high heat until golden brown all over.
Step 3
Reduce the heat to medium, add the ginger and garlic, and stir for about 2 minutes until the garlic no longer smells raw. Add the turmeric and ground coriander and stir for a minute, then add the yogurt, followed by the fenugreek leaves. Do not let the yogurt boil—you should not need to add any water; the yogurt will prevent the spices from sticking to the base of the pan. Add the caramelized onions, salt, chile powder, and tomato paste and stir gently. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the lid, stir in the sugar until it has dissolved, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Increase the heat to medium–high and stir, uncovered, until the oil comes to the surface. Serve hot, garnished with cream and cilantro, if using.