Chicken methi curry with restaurant quality results, every time!
I do love a good chicken methi curry.
This recipe is from my cookbook ‘The Curry Guy Bible’ but I have changed the recipe from the book version that serves 4 people to a smaller curry house portion to serve 1 to 2 people.
Fresh methi can be difficult to find but frozen methi can be found at most Asian grocers and is just as good as fresh.
It is also easier to use the frozen stuff as it comes cooked and ready to use. This chicken methi recipe calls for a curry house style base sauce. If you would like to cook a curry house curry without a base sauce, try this no base curry page.
Make this chicken methi curry recipe your own…
There are a number of ways you can take this chicken methi curry recipe and make it your own.
If you love spicy curries, for example, you could add more chilli powder or chopped chillies. Prefer a creamier sauce, add more yoghurt.
This curry house style recipe is perfect for my taste but go ahead and adjust it if you like. If it sounds good, do it.
What is a restaurant style chicken methi curry?
By that I mean that this recipe produces a chicken methi curry that is just like those you find at the best curry houses.
As with all curry house style curries, there is some preparation work you will need to do first.
The essential base curry sauce is key to getting the flavour and texture right. Here is one of my ‘go to’ recipes for it.
You will also need to pre-cook your chicken. This makes the final cooking faster but also adds another layer of flavour.
You might like to try this stewed chicken recipe or tandoori chicken tikka.
If you are short of time, you could also cook the chicken pieces in the base sauce.
Just simmer it in the sauce until cooked through. This also adds a nice flavour to the base sauce.
Ingredient subtsitutes…
Although this is a chicken methi recipe, you could of course substitute other main ingredients.
Just like when you go out for a curry and see methi curry on the menu. You could choose your main ingredient to go in the methi sauce such as lamb, chicken, paneer, king prawns…
In this recipe I have used frozen methi. If you want to use fresh methi, sprinkle it with salt and let sit for about 30 minutes.
Then squeeze out all the moisture and chop it up before using. This will reduce any bitter flavour that is often in fresh leaves.
It is always a good idea to get your ingredients together before starting to cook.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the whole spices.
After infusing the whole spices in the oil for about 30 seconds, stir in the chopped onion.
Fry the chopped onion for about 4 minutes until soft and then add the garlic and ginger paste.
Stir in the chillies and coriander (cilantro) stems.
Now add the ground spices.
Then stir in the methi.
Add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer.
Add a couple of ladles of the base sauce and top up from time to time when the curry is looking dry.
Add the chicken and stir well to coat with the sauce.
Stir in the yoghurt one tablespoon at a time.
Season with salt to taste and top with chopped coriander (cilantro).
Here are more curry house curry favourites you might like to try!
Chicken Korma
Chicken Madras
Chicken Dhansak
Lamb Rogan Josh
Lamb Vindaloo
Chicken Chilli Garlic
Chicken Patia
Lamb Bhuna
Delicious served simply with basmati rice.
Dig in!
Chicken Methi Curry - Restaurant Style
Ingredients
- 100g (3.5oz) frozen methi (fenugreek), defrosted
- 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
- 1 star anise
- 1 Indian bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 onion - finely chopped
- 1 tbsp mixed powder
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
- 300ml (1 1/4 cups) base curry sauce
- 300g (11oz) pre-cooked chicken
- 2 tbsp plain natural yoghurt
- 1 tbsp coriander (cilantro) - finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp dried methi leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the star anise, bay leaf, coriander seeds and fennel seeds and infuse these into the oil for about 30 seconds.
- Now add the chopped onion and fry until soft and translucent. This should take 3 - 5 minutes.
- Stir in the mixed powder and chilli powder and then add the tomato puree. Bring this to a simmer and then add half of the base sauce.
- Bring this to a rolling simmer.
- Stir in the pre-cooked chicken and coat it in the sauce.
- Add the fresh methi and the remainder of the base sauce
- Stir in the yoghurt, one tablespoon at a time. Don't add it all at once or it could curdle.
- To finish, add the chopped coriander (cilantro) and garam masala. Then add the dried methi by rubbing it between your fingers over the sauce.
- If you prefer a creamier sauce, you could add more yoghurt or just top the sauce with some plain natural yoghurt.
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Chris Large
Thursday 27th of October 2022
I made the the "Bible" version in my Instant Pot (20 mins on high). The only real tweaking necessary was putting the pot on Sautee at the end & adding a bit of cornflour slurry along with the yoghurt. The result was fantastic. SO pleased.
Dan Toombs
Thursday 3rd of November 2022
That's great, thanks very much for letting me know. Dan
Rob
Sunday 2nd of October 2022
I notice that there are ingredients and two steps missing from the recipe at the bottom of the page compared to the picture/notes section. First is ginger and garlic paste and the step where this is added, and following that the step where chopped green chillies and coriander stems are added.
I followed the recipe as per the pictures including the g&g paste and the chillies and coriander stems, and have added those steps into my copy of the recipe. The final dish was excellent. Thanks!
Dan Toombs
Thursday 13th of October 2022
Thanks for noticing, I will get that changed. Dan
Ian Woodward
Thursday 15th of September 2022
Can you use the ground powder instead of the proper leaves? If so how much should be used for your recipe? Not easy to find in rural France.
Dan Toombs
Friday 23rd of September 2022
Yes you can but add to taste as it is stronger than the leaves. Thanks Dan
Kate Wilson
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
Hi Dan I got the 'Bible' as a present. I made the Chicken Methi on Saturday and just wanted to say that it was outstanding!! I made it for my 'bubble' fried and she said it was the best curry she had ever tasted. Thank you so much and I love the videos as well. Best wishes Kate
Dan Toombs
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
Thank you very much, Kate. All very good to hear. Dan