3.6/5 rating (199 votes)

Methi Murgh

Fenugreek Chicken

  • Heat Medium
  • Serves 4
  • Prep 10 mins
  • Cook 30 mins
Methi Murgh

Tender chicken pieces cooked in a delicious earthy sauce flavoured with fresh fenugreek leaves in a creamy tomato masala base.

Hari says

This is a really lovely dish that has the fresh punch of fenugreek leaves or methi (as we call it). It has a beautifully earthy flavoured sauce that's lifted with the tang from the yogurt. The thick creaminess is delicious and homely without being heavy.

For me this dish sits right in the middle of the curry sauce scale with tomato sauces at one end and creamy sauces on the other. So if like me you love both types of Indian sauces then this really is a dish you should try.

Fresh fenugreek leaves are not to be confused with the spice. The fresh green leaves have a slightly bitter taste and the dried herb is slightly milder but has an amazing aroma that's quintessentially Indian. The seeds or ground spice are more pungent and bitter in flavour. For this dish ideally you want to use fresh feungreek. This can be purchased from all Indian grocery shops, but if you can't get hold of it then use the dried Kasoori Methi instead.

I like this dish because the flavour of the methi really comes through but works beautifully with the creamy tartness of the yoghurt. 

Top Tip:

If you haven’t got the time to make this in the evening, then you can slow cook it so it’s ready when you get in.

  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 6 chicken thighs, cut into chunks
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 tomatoes, pureed
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
  • 1 or 2 green chillies, chopped
  • 2 tbsp yoghurt
  • 150ml water
  • 2 bunches fresh fenugreek/methi leaves, washed and finely chopped (alternatively use 3tbsp dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 2 tsp garam masala

Method

  1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Once fragrant add onion and cook until golden brown (20 mins).
  2. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and cook together for a few minutes.
  3. Stir in the puréed tomatoes, chilli powder, crushed coriander seeds, salt and green chilli.
  4. Mix the yoghurt and water and pour into the pan. Replace lid and cook covered for 5 minutes.
  5. Add the washed and chopped methi leaves and stir into the sauce. Replace the lid and leave to cook for a few more minutes.
  6. Stir in the chicken pieces and place the lid on the pan and cook for a few minutes on a medium heat until the chicken is almost cooked.
  7. Increase the heat and remove the lid then stir fry the chicken, stirring all the time to thicken the sauce to a consistency you are happy with.
  8. Remove from the heat and stir in the garam masala and serve.

Served with

Delicious with roti or rice.

Foodies100 Index of UK Food Blogs
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Nutritional information

Typical values* per Serving
Calories372
Fat (g)25
of which saturates (g)4
Carbohydrates (g)21
of which sugars (g)4
Fibre (g)2
Protein (g)30
Salt (mg)619
*Based upon calculated values, supplied by myfitnesspal.com. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated.

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Comments

Comments (34)

  • tony

    tony

    02 July 2020 at 14:12 |
    Hi,
    I love your website and have tried and loved several of your recipes, it´s always my goto because I know that any recipe is going to give a good result. I made this this week and I have to say it´s the best so far. The taste is so complex and rich. Thanks

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      02 July 2020 at 14:27 |
      Hey Tony - that is so amazing - did you take a picture? Id love to see it so please post it in the app!! Thanks so much for giving the recipes a go!

      reply

  • Sharon

    Sharon

    09 January 2018 at 16:03 |
    Hi there, I just wondered how good frozen methi is?

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      09 January 2018 at 21:27 |
      Hi Sharon Do you mean the frozen leaves or the dried herb? Assuming you mean the leaves - I think they are fine to use but if i'm honest I have only heard that and haven't actually used them myself. I suppose give them a go and let me know what you think. Thanks Hari

      reply

  • Ildiko

    Ildiko

    28 December 2017 at 14:03 |
    Hi Hari, big fan of yours! So is my pakistani husband!
    Cooked a few dishes already, but the Methi Murgh is the favourite! I made roti to serve with it and everyone licked the plate clean!
    Thank you for your tasty recipes!

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      29 December 2017 at 12:46 |
      Hi thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and letting me know that you love this one. Its a real homely flavour and i'm so pleased to hear that your family licked their plates clean! Let me know what you are going to cook next and please do download the app www.harighotra.co.uk/app it's free and it means you can post your pictures and share them with me too. Thanks so much

      reply

  • nic

    nic

    17 November 2017 at 15:53 |
    thank you so much for coming back to me so quickly ! how long would i then leave it in the slow cooker ? no more questions i promise !! :-) gonna try it this weekend !

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      18 November 2017 at 07:26 |
      Hi Nic depends on how much but 6 hours on the bone 4ish hours off the bone will be fine. I hope you like it! Hari

      reply

  • nic

    nic

    16 November 2017 at 21:54 |
    hi sorry im abit confused if i do in slow cooker would i do steps 1-5 ( minus yoghurt) on the stove and then put in slow cooker wiv the chicken first or would i literally just pop it all in slow cooker from word go ? sorry to be thick !

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      17 November 2017 at 09:03 |
      Hi Nic Sorry to confuse you - I think for the best results 1-5 on the stove minus yoghurt then into the slow cooker with the chicken. Once cooked you can add the yoghurt 1 tbsp spoon at a time so it incorporates properly. If you don't have time to do this then you can also put everything into the slow cooker and cook too. I think the flavours and texture is better when you cook the onions off first. This recipe is also in the cook book so if you like to slow cook this might be a good one for you. https://www.harighotra.co.uk/shop/easy-indian-slow-cooker-cook-book I hope this helps Thanks Hari

      reply

  • Tracey

    Tracey

    06 August 2017 at 16:28 |
    Wonderful aromatic curry with so many beautiful flavours that burst with the first bite. This has to be the nicest curry I have ever eaten or made. My husband said it was like eating at a high end restaurant. Thank you for such a wonderful website and app. I look forward to making more of your curries.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      07 August 2017 at 16:44 |
      Hi Tracey Oh wow now that it praise indeed, well done for giving it a go - I love this dish too Thanks so much for sharing your pictures too! Hari

      reply

  • Jackie Holt

    Jackie Holt

    14 July 2017 at 09:58 |
    Hi Hari, I'm growing fenugreek in the garden this year (it's really easy to grow in the UK) because I've long loved Indian methi dishes. Can you give me a rough idea of what you mean by a 'bunch' of methi (in grams, handfuls or stalks)? Also, am I right in thinking that methi wilts down like spinach and can be added in large pieces (I seem to remember eating it this way some years ago).

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      14 July 2017 at 16:09 |
      Hi Jackie - I would say 1-2 handfuls. Yes it does wilt down so that is fine. Let me know what you think of this dish. Thanks for getting in touch. Hari

      reply

  • Lavina Monteiro

    Lavina Monteiro

    03 June 2017 at 03:29 |
    I would like to slow cook this. Is there a slow cooker adapted recipe for this please? I would also like to slow cook your other recipes but there doesn't seem to be slow cooked versions of your recipes on your website

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      06 June 2017 at 11:39 |
      Hi Lavina Thank you so much for your comment - this blog might help you http://www.harighotra.co.uk/blog/top-ten-slow-cooking-recipes For this dish the method is the same but I would recommend adding the yoghurt in at the end of the slow cooking just before serving or you can ass a tsp of gram flour to the yoghurt and add it in at the start. Hope this helps. Thanks Hari

      reply

  • Pamela

    Pamela

    25 May 2017 at 04:56 |
    Hi hari last night i did the methi chicken and it very lovely and everyone enjoyed it even though my husband who is very fussy about food he liked it very much .

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      30 May 2017 at 11:39 |
      Fantastic to hear Pamela. Thanks so much for sharing your comments with me! Let me know what else you try too.

      reply

  • Stuart hughes

    Stuart hughes

    09 April 2017 at 08:38 |
    Perfect ?

    reply

  • Stuart hughes

    Stuart hughes

    05 April 2017 at 18:10 |
    Hi hari is it greek yogurt u use in this recipe? Love your recipes havnt ordered in for a good while

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      06 April 2017 at 14:05 |
      Hi Stuart Really lovely to hear that you are cooking at home rather then ordering in. Yes I tend to use greek yoghurt in most of my dishes. Hope this helps - let me know what you think. Thanks so much for using the website Hari

      reply

  • Jake perry

    Jake perry

    30 September 2016 at 09:34 |
    I love all your other recipes but this one let me down. It taste exactly like a curry you make from a jar in asda! I would give this curry a 1/5.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      30 September 2016 at 17:01 |
      Hi Jake thats a real shame - I really like this one. Did you use fresh methi or dried? Thanks for using the website and I hope you will try another recipe. Thanks Hari

      reply

  • Greg Upton

    Greg Upton

    30 March 2016 at 19:02 |
    A superb curry with fresh methi an absolute must.

    Thoroughly enjoyed by my entire household and certain to be a regular dinner feature.

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes Hari,

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      30 March 2016 at 19:29 |
      Hi Greg amazing to hear - Methi is a delightful herb and adds something distinctive to the dish - Glad to hear you will be adding this to your repertoire - Happy Cooking Hari

      reply

  • Nadia www.mediterraneaneast.com

    Nadia www.mediterraneaneast.com

    24 February 2016 at 20:23 |
    This recipe was delicious! Outstanding curry flavors and aromas! Thanks, Hari!

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      24 February 2016 at 21:10 |
      Hi Nadia - I love this one too and it's great to hear that it fit the bill in your house! Thanks for using the site and your comments too. Hari

      reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      24 February 2016 at 21:10 |
      Hi Nadia - I love this one too and it's great to hear that it fit the bill in your house! Thanks for using the site and your comments too. Hari

      reply

  • Neil

    Neil

    21 February 2016 at 17:48 |
    Made this last night, excellent. This has got to be one of the finest curries i have ever made or indeen tasted.

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      23 February 2016 at 08:52 |
      Hi Neil Well I am very pleased to hear that. I hope you will be cooking many more from the site. Thanks so much for sharing. Hari

      reply

  • Patel

    Patel

    07 December 2015 at 09:54 |
    Hi if I wanted to slow cook this in the oven how long would I do it for and at what temp?

    reply

    • Hari Ghotra

      Hari Ghotra

      08 December 2015 at 22:48 |
      Hi Bella It really depends from which point you want to slow cook it from. I would recommend you go through the same process but use chicken on the bone. Cook at 120C for 4-6 hours. Have a read of my slow cooking blog as this may help. http://www.harighotra.co.uk/blog/top-ten-slow-cooking-recipes
      Let me know if you want any more information. Thanks Hari

      reply

  • Hari Ghotra

    Hari Ghotra

    16 June 2015 at 10:51 |
    Hi Nigel - Amazing feedback! Thanks

    reply

  • Nigel

    Nigel

    15 June 2015 at 07:01 |
    Oh Hari, this was fantastic. It took me back to the 80s and 90s when we used to go to the original Pakistani restaurants in Bradford - plastic table tops, eating with our fingers, only tap water to drink and methi was the king of spices!
    Easy to prepare and cook, but the taste was out of this world. I cannot recommend this dish too highly.

    reply

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