METHI BATA MURGI

Cooking is something which should not be bound to a particular region. Its so very heart filling to explore through cuisines of different regions, countries. Its like exploring cultures. A foodie myself, I like restaurant hopping and at times go to the extent of  asking the expert chef about a particular dish. As we all know there is no end to learning.

Being regular to North Indian joints, I love their various Chicken and Cottage Cheese recipes. In all regions of India; rather in the Indian SubContinent, there is predominance of flavours.We have to have flavours in our curries and tongue tickling use of spices. Life needs to be spicy enough, there should be days when "Health Is Wealth" phrase is better forgotten.

Today let's spice up with this flavourful chicken curry that uses fenugreek paste. Chicken is a staple at my home as my son almost worships it. So I have to explore through various chicken recipes, so that before he gets bored, I do not get bored of cooking. Authentically this recipe is done with dried fenugreek leaves(kasuri methi) or fresh ones. At my home neither of the two are a favourite, I use fenugreek powder for the marination without compromising with the flavour. Actually our mother learnt it from a popular Bengali Television Show, the anchor of the show Parama mentioned about this chicken recipe. It happens to be a thicker gravy; because I cannot have chicken unless it is a thin gravy, I did it as per my preference.

Ingredients (for marination)

• Chicken: 500 gm
• Plain Yogurt : 250 gm
• Salt :11/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
• Turmeric : 1/2 tsp.
•  Fenugreek Powder :1/4 tsp.

Ingredients (for the Curry)

• Onions(sliced): 2 big
• Garlic Paste: 2 tablespoon
• Ginger Paste: 1 tablespoon.
• Chilli Powder: 1 tsp.
•  Oil: 3 tablespoon.
• Salt : 1 tsp.

• Chopped Coriander leaves and slitted Green Chillies for Garnish. (50gm of coriander leaves and 2-3 green chillies)

     

Wash and pat dry 500 gm chicken. The yogurt has to be beaten before mixing.

Mix the chicken very well with the marination ingredients and keep refrigerated in a covered container for 2-3 hours.

Be very careful about the amount of fenugreek powder, if more the gravy may turn bitter.

Heat oil in a wok. Add one bay leaf. Add the onion slices, fry till brown.

Add the garlic paste and fry, when half done add in the ginger paste, fry very well.

At this stage put in salt n chilli powder. Stir well and pour in the marinated chicken. Stir n cover, lower heat. Stir every five minutes.

After about 1/2 an hour add 11/2 coffee mug of water, stir and cover again. Switch off the gas after 10 minutes.

Transfer into a glass bowl and garnish with slitted green chillies and coriander leaves. Enjoy with steamed rice or chapattis with a generous serving of green salad.

Please note we do not need to add garam masala because the predominant flavour should be of the fenugreek, which is amazing. The more popular and generic recipe is to do it with fresh methi leaves, I have done as I have seen my mother doing it.