Fenugreek leaves or Methi saag is abundant these days of winter and I often prepare a typical saag curry out of it. However Methi can be used in different dishes and if you recall, once I shared with you Methi Paratha before. Here I present a chicken preparation using methi which can be touted as a successful experimentation. If you are skeptic about methy being of a slightly bitter taste, let me assure you that the certain tricks and a proper method as described in the following will result in a really interesting combination of methi saag and chicken. This recipe will surely be a nice addition to your chicken recipe and a justice to a seasonal herb.

Ingredients to serve 4 :

1. Chicken with bone – 800 gm.
2. Fresh fenugreek leaves (roughly chopped) – 1 cup
3. Yogurt – 1 small cup
4. Fresh cream – 2-3 tbspoon
5. Chopped onion – 3 (large)
6. Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon
7. Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
8. Slit green chili – 4-5
9. Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
10. Red chili powder – ½ teaspoon
11. Coriander powder – 1 tbspoon
12. Kasuri Methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – 1 tbspoon
13. Salt to taste
14. Whole garam masala (cinnamon stick – 1 inch piece, green cardamom – 3, clove – 4, javitri or mace – small piece)
15. Bay leaf – 2
16. Cooking oil – 4 tbspoon

Procedure :

Clean and wash the chicken pieces. Marinate the chicken with yogurt, dry fenugreek leaves and salt for at least an hour.

Toss the chopped fenugreek leaves with little salt and set aside for 10-15 minutes.

Heat oil in a kadai over medium flame.

Add whole garam masala and bay leaf, saute for a while till nice aroma comes out.

Add chopped onion and fry till it gets translucent.

Add ginger and garlic paste and cook till the mixture turns light brown.

Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder, cook till their raw flavour disappear.

Then squeeze the chopped fenugreek leaves and discard the water coming out from it. Now add these leaves to the spice mixture and cook  for 2-3 minutes.

Then add marinated chicken and slit green chilies, mix well with the fenugreek leaves mixture. Cover the kadai and cook the chicken over medium flame till oil comes out from the mixture. Then add 1½ cup of hot water to it. Let the water comes to boil. Again cover the kadai and wait till the chicken gets cooked completely and the gravy thickens to your desired consistency.

Now add fresh cream and cook for another couple of minutes.

Put the flame off and give it a standing time for a while.

Serve with roti, paratha or pulao.

Note :

1. You can avoid fresh cream if you want to and make the dish as a simple Methi Chicken. In that case the gravy should be little runny. Methi chicken also goes well with plain rice.