Methi Malai Chicken

In my hunt for interesting Indian recipes I chanced about this chicken methi malai recipe on a FB group. Keyword search led me to many posts of members vouching for this recipe, and I knew I had to make it.


The dish was rich and delicious with the kids giving a thumbs up to methi too, as long as it’s wrapped around the chicken

Ingredients

1 Bunch Fresh Methi
800 gms chicken
2 onion
1 tomato
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 green chillies
3-4 dry red chillies
100 gm yoghurt
100 gm cream
1 tbsp whole garam masala( black peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
fresh green coriander leaves for garnish
salt to taste
100 gm butter/oil

1. Clean wash chicken and keep it in a colander to drain. Pluck leaves of methi and wash it in running water 2-3 times, so all the mud and sand is washed off. Finely slice the onion and tomato.

2. Heat a wok and add Butter/ oil, let it come to temperature. Add whole garam masala, cumin seeds. Saute until oil is aromatic approximately 2 minutes.

3. Add sliced onion and dry red chillies. Fry for 3-5 minutes until onion turn light golden. Add ginger and garlic paste and cook the rawness evaporates.

4. In fried onion add chicken pieces and fry for 5-7 minutes or until chicken is well seared and the chicken is all dried up. Add sliced tomato and it cooks.

5. Add all dry spices, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, crushed black pepper, garam masala powder

6. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add salt and yoghurt. Cook over high flames until the moisture of yoghurt dries.

7. Add half cup of water, bring it to boil. Reduce the heat cover the wok with the lid and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes until chicken is almost 80% cooked.

8. Add chopped methi (fenugreek leaves) to chicken and stir well. Keep the at medium heat and cook it uncovered until both chicken and methi is cooked.

9. Whipped up the cream with a fork to make it smooth. Pour the cream in methi murgh and gently stir to combine, leave 2 tbsp of cream for later to garnish.

10. Reduce the flame to simmer, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the oil floats on top

11. Transfer in a bowl, garnish with cream and green coriander leaves.

12. Serve hot with paratha, rotis or rice

Recipe courtesy – Afroz Shaikh