Methi Malai Chicken

by Kiran on May 21, 2013 · 83 comments

in Chicken, Indian

It took me a long time to ponder about doing a blog post today. I asked myself questions like, “should I potentially risk offending anyone who was directly impacted by the devastation in Oklahoma?”

Should I hit the ‘publish’ button?

It’s hard to imagine how a tornado can cause massive devastation. All livelihood and belongings, banished instantaneously.

Methi Malai Chicken | Fresh Fenugreek Chicken at KiranTarun.com

Hug your loved ones tighter, tell them how much you love them, have a sit down meal together.

Everyday.

When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself. — Tecumseh

Methi Malai Chicken | Fresh Fenugreek Chicken at KiranTarun.com

This post is dedicated to everyone in Oklahoma. I’m not sure how to process what has happened. But one thing is for sure: food nourishes and heals.

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. — Hippocrates, father of medicine, 431 B.C

Methi Malai Chicken | Fresh Fenugreek Chicken at KiranTarun.com

Print This Recipe Print This Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds, soaked in some hot water for an hour
  • 1 cup red onion, sliced
  • 2 heaping tbsp mustard oil
  • 3 green chilies, slited
  • 1/2 tsp black cardamom powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2/3 cup hot water
  • 3 handfuls of freshly picked methi (fenugreek) leaves, chopped*

To marinate

  • 1.5 lbs skinless, bone-in chicken
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1.5 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1/3 cup low-fat yogurt

Directions:

  1. In a large non-reactive bowl, add all ingredients to marinate. Mix well to coat chicken with marinate. Refrigerate to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a large pan on medium. Add mustard oil and sliced onions. Cook onions until browned, between 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Reserve oil by carefully draining browned onions into a small bowl. Cool onions before adding it into a blender with soaked almonds.
  4. Blend onions and almonds with a little water into a smooth paste.
  5. Remove marinated chicken from refrigerator.
  6. Heat the same pan on medium with the remaining mustard oil. Once oil is heated, add whole slited green chilies and black cardamon powder. Cook for 1 minute.
  7. Once chilies are blistered, add marinated chicken into the pan. Bring it to simmer and stir consistently. Cook for a few minutes before adding onion+almond paste, salt and black pepper.
  8. Stir to combine. Add hot water and bring chicken to a simmer. Cover and cook between 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is completely done.
  9. Stir in handfuls of freshly picked and chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves. Stir to combine and cook for another 2 minutes.
  10. Serve hot with homemade soft chapatis!

*Note: It’s very easy to source this delicious greens from a local Indian grocery store. If you can’t get your hands on fenugreek leaves, use spinach instead.

 

Methi Malai Chicken | Fresh Fenugreek Chicken at KiranTarun.com

Our thoughts and prayers goes out to everyone in Oklahoma that is devastated by this tragedy.

God bless.

 

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Comments on this entry are closed.

1 Mr. & Mrs. P May 21, 2013 at 3:54 PM

Very heartfelt post.. Its so sad what happened…. Hope they are able to recover quickly.

=)
Mr. & Mrs. P recently posted..Spring has Arrived

2 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 12:09 PM

Mr & Mrs P — thank you.

3 Daniela @ FoodrecipesHQ May 21, 2013 at 4:18 PM

Thanks for the beautiful words, Kiran. It is laudable that this post is dedicated to people in Oklahoma.
Daniela @ FoodrecipesHQ recently posted..Neapolitan “Mozzarella in Carrozza” {Mozzarella Stuffed French Toast)

4 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 12:11 PM

Daniela — thank you for your humble support 🙂

5 Radhika Vasanth May 21, 2013 at 4:18 PM

The pain is unexplainable when we lose our loved ones, home and everything else due to such incidents. I hope the people in Oklahama recover soon. My sincere prayers for them.
Radhika Vasanth recently posted..Weekly Meal Plan – Making everyday cooking easy #7

6 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 12:13 PM

Radhika — thank you for the humbleness 🙂

7 Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today May 21, 2013 at 4:19 PM

This is a very nice and supportive post. My thoughts are with people in Oklahoma.
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8 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 12:14 PM

Marta — thank you so much.

9 Simply Life May 21, 2013 at 7:57 PM

agreed- my heart and thoughts go out to everyone affected by this.
Simply Life recently posted..Gone Backpacking.

10 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 2:10 PM

Gina — thank you.

11 Lail | With A Spin May 21, 2013 at 10:15 PM

Being next door to Oklahoma it is hard to fathom what has happened. Thanks for the heartfelt words, Kiran.

The chicken looks delicious and the photos are stunning as always.
Lail | With A Spin recently posted..Frittata Di Spaghetti – Spaghetti Frittata

12 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 2:11 PM

Lail — you are welcome and thank you for the kind thoughts.

13 Laura (Tutti Dolci) May 21, 2013 at 10:26 PM

Beautifully written post, Kiran! Love the flavors in your chicken.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) recently posted..mini chocolate-cherry rolls

14 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 4:50 PM

Laura — thank you!

15 Nik May 21, 2013 at 10:44 PM

This reminds me of home cooked chicken with methi especially with the delicious rotis!
Nik recently posted..chocolate raspberry whole-wheat biscotti

16 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 4:51 PM

Nik — 🙂

17 Rosa May 22, 2013 at 1:48 AM

A splendidly fragrant dish! I’d love to know where to find fresh methi here…

Cheers,

Rosa

18 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 4:54 PM

Rosa — thank you! you’d usually find some in a local Indian grocery store.

19 Katerina May 22, 2013 at 2:49 AM

Food indeed brings people closer and warms the souls. I love all the spices in this dish!
Katerina recently posted..Shepherd’s Pie, Sort Of

20 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 4:54 PM

Katerina — thank you!

21 Raymund May 22, 2013 at 3:28 AM

Nice dish, I will definitely have a lot of extra naan to come with this. So yum!
Raymund recently posted..Lelot Balatong

22 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 4:55 PM

Raymund — naan would be great with this dish 🙂

23 Shama May 22, 2013 at 3:31 AM

yummy and inviting dear

24 Kiran May 29, 2013 at 4:55 PM

Shama — thank you!

25 Charul Ajmera May 22, 2013 at 6:00 AM

The saddest part is you cannot do anything about these kind of accidents. Obviously, we can be prepared and take precautions but there would still be some damages.
Prayers for those who lost their loved ones and houses.
Charul Ajmera recently posted..Watermelon and Pomegranate Juice

26 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 3:43 PM

Charul — yes, sadly it’s true.

27 Denise Browning@From Brazil To You May 22, 2013 at 8:24 AM

Kiran: This dish should be called ‘A bowl of happiness’…Eating this Malai chicken would put a huge smile on my face!
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You recently posted..Piña Colada Cheesecake Smoothie (Vitamina de Abacaxi com Coco)

28 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 3:44 PM

Denise — and you pretty much made my day. thank you, friend 🙂

29 dixya| food, pleasure, and health May 22, 2013 at 2:05 PM

its just devastating, unfair but sometimes all you can do it pray and hold on to you loved one. lovely recipe as usual – just pinned it.
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30 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 4:27 PM

Dixya — thank you for pinning my friend 🙂

ps: do you mind using your blog address instead of feed url? it’s quite time-consuming to click directly into your blog, with all the additional steps.

31 Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence May 22, 2013 at 4:32 PM

I had the same thoughts when I recently published my post! I just couldn’t imagine how scary it would be to go through something like that :/

In regards to the chicken, it looks tasty! I have a bag of fengugreek in my cupboard I need to crack open. And now I’m wondering where I could get the fresh leaves…
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence recently posted..Paleo Recipes: Week of May 13

32 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 4:57 PM

Brandon — thank you. you’d most probably find some fresh fenugreek leaves in a local Indian grocery store.

33 Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking May 22, 2013 at 5:12 PM

The beautiful meals you create out of such simple ingredients are amazing, Kiran! This looks so scrumptious and perfect for spring parties that don’t require much fuss. In my house, there’s no other kind!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking recently posted..1-Minute Chocolate Chip Cookie In a Mug

34 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 4:57 PM

Georgia — thank you so much for the sweet comments, my dear 🙂

35 CCU May 22, 2013 at 5:30 PM

What a beautiful post for the people affected my friend. This tragedy is absolutely horrible.
Hope they recover soon!

Cheers
CCU
CCU recently posted..Lotsa Choc-Chip Love

36 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 5:01 PM

CCU — thank you.

37 nusrat2010 May 22, 2013 at 6:22 PM

Your post touched my heart. Eye-soothing photos. Yum recipe. Outstanding styling as always.
nusrat2010 recently posted..Shrimp Malaikari (Shrimp in Creamy Coconut Gravy)

38 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 5:19 PM

Nusrat — thank you.

39 john@kitchenriffs May 22, 2013 at 6:41 PM

Very nice post – it’s amazing how destructive a tornado can be. And all of our hearts go out to the victims. But it’s totally appropriate to post – it’s a great way to express hope for a speedy return to normalcy. And this chicken recipe is great – I wish it was the norm in my house! Thanks.
john@kitchenriffs recently posted..Oven Slow-Cooked BBQ Spare Ribs

40 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 5:21 PM

John — thank you. I love your quote on hope and speedy return to normalcy.

41 Jeanette May 22, 2013 at 6:54 PM

What a beautiful dedication. There seem to be so many tragedies lately – we should all be reminded to hug our loved ones each and every day.
Jeanette recently posted..Shrimp Taco Dip Recipe

42 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 5:39 PM

Jeanette — thank you so much my friend.

43 Gemma @andgeesaid May 22, 2013 at 8:38 PM

What a great post, I hope the people in Oklahoma recover soon <3
This looks wonderful. Great flavours! I love the little dish 🙂 xxx
Gemma @andgeesaid recently posted..Funfetti Cake with Dulce Du Leche and Dark Chocolate Caramel Marscapone Icing

44 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 5:57 PM

Gemma — thank you, friend 🙂

45 Kitchen Belleicious May 22, 2013 at 10:23 PM

What a great way to add another dimension of flavor to the ordinary chicken dish. i love every aspect of this
Kitchen Belleicious recently posted..Roasted Eggplant & Zucchini Spread

46 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 5:59 PM

Jessica — thank you!

47 Needful Things May 23, 2013 at 2:38 AM

A lovely post for those affected. . and the curry is beautiful too 🙂
Needful Things recently posted..Masala Chai for Needy People

48 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 6:08 PM

Needful — thank you.

49 Angie@Angie's Recipes May 23, 2013 at 4:09 AM

A lovely and warming post and the chicken looks so flavourful and droolworthy.
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Vegan Gluten Free Fudge Brownies

50 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 6:09 PM

Angie — thank you, friend 🙂

51 Charis May 23, 2013 at 6:02 AM

Hello 🙂 Thought I’d drop by and say hi!
The chicken looks fantastic. You made me miss home.
Prayers with Oklahoma.

52 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 6:15 PM

Hello Charis — welcome back and thanks for dropping by 🙂

53 Monica May 23, 2013 at 8:32 AM

I agree with you. Mother Nature just leaves me speechless sometimes… This dish is perfect for a family gathering.
Monica recently posted..Nutella-banana stuffed French toast

54 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 6:19 PM

Monica – thank you!

55 Manju @ Manju'sEatingDelights May 23, 2013 at 12:33 PM

I love your methi malai chicken…looks simply finger licking good.
And yes i hope everyone who dealt with the horrible tornado finds peace and calm soon.
Manju @ Manju’sEatingDelights recently posted..Fish curry with Raw Mango and Drumsticks in a spicy Coconut gravy

56 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 6:20 PM

Manju — thank you!

57 Julia May 23, 2013 at 4:51 PM

What happened in Oklahmoa is tragic. Every time I see stories on the news it brings tears to my eyes.

Your photos are beautiful & the dish sounds really yummy!

58 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 9:52 PM

Julia — thank you for your compassion. it was indeed so heartbreaking.

59 Sissi May 23, 2013 at 5:06 PM

I have this feeling the last days were filled with tragic events everywhere, also here in Europe…
I have dried methi leaves but I suppose they are nothing compared to fresh (I must confess I have had them for a year or more and never knew how to use; typical of me). I will try to grow it on my balcony. Thank you for sharing this dish and for the lovely supportive post.
Sissi recently posted..Goat Yogurt, Cucumber, Radish and Dill Salad

60 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 10:41 PM

Sissi — you can use dried methi too, but just not as much. just crush it in between your fingers to release the fragrant. and a fresher box would help too. if the spice is too old, it might just taste like a cardboard 😀

61 Sissi May 31, 2013 at 10:11 AM

Thank you so much, Kiran, for your advice!
Sissi recently posted..Bread Tartlet with Egg and Asparagus

62 Trisha @ Vignette May 23, 2013 at 6:57 PM

I feel so awful for the people in Oklahoma – your words are very heartfelt.

This sounds like a lovely dish. Beautiful photographs and styling.!
Trisha @ Vignette recently posted..A GREAT GATSBY FEAST

63 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 10:42 PM

Trisha — thanks for the comforting words of compassion.

64 Ameena May 23, 2013 at 11:46 PM

Amazing dedication to the people of Oklahoma…and an amazing dish Kiran. Love your pictures.
Ameena recently posted..how do they stand it?

65 Kiran May 30, 2013 at 10:46 PM

Ameena — thank you my dear.

66 Juliana May 24, 2013 at 12:14 AM

Such a sweet post Kiran…
The chicken looks delicious, like the idea of adding almond.
Have a great weekend ahead my dear 🙂
Juliana recently posted..Chocolate Cupcakes Filled with Raspberry Jam Topped with Marshmallow

67 Kiran May 31, 2013 at 12:20 AM

Juliana — thank you so much!

68 Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella May 24, 2013 at 3:46 AM

Tragedies like what happened in Oklahoma are so sad and there are no words to express how sorry we are for what happened to them. A lovely post 🙂
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69 Kiran May 31, 2013 at 12:21 AM

Lorraine — thanks!

70 Maureen | Orgasmic Chef May 24, 2013 at 4:27 AM

You wrote what we all feel – thanks.

Your photos make me want this chicken dish right now.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef recently posted..A Rather Delicious Raspberry Soufflé

71 Kiran May 31, 2013 at 12:21 AM

Maureen — and thank you for reading.

72 Anne ~ Uni Homemaker May 24, 2013 at 7:39 PM

This sounds oh so delicious! And your photos are gorgeous as always Kiran. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker recently posted..Baked Rigatoni with Chicken Sausage

73 Kiran May 31, 2013 at 12:22 AM

Anne — thank you my dear and hope you are having a great week 🙂

74 Carolyn Chan May 24, 2013 at 8:32 PM

Another lovely dedication – and that is one bowl of comfort food !
Carolyn Chan recently posted..Marinated tofu salad with ginger, soy and mirin dressing

75 Kiran May 31, 2013 at 12:23 AM

Carolyn — thank you sweet friend 🙂

76 easyfoodsmith May 25, 2013 at 2:06 PM

An absolute favourite of mine. I am a methi addict and love methi in all its forms.
Feel really sad for those who were impacted at Oklahoma.
easyfoodsmith recently posted..TROPICAL COCONUT LOAF

77 Kiran May 31, 2013 at 12:23 AM

EasyFoodSmith — and thanks for being so compassionate.

78 Your Cookery Book May 25, 2013 at 7:12 PM

I am thinking to make methi malai chicken from ages but always push the plan forward for something else. Gonna make soon this time.

Lovely recipe and pictures. 🙂
Your Cookery Book recently posted..Maru Bhajia Chutney Recipe

79 Kiran May 31, 2013 at 12:27 AM

YCB — thank you and make it soon. it’s so easy and comforting 🙂

80 My Kitchen Stories May 27, 2013 at 7:25 AM

Beautiful pictures, oh you make me weep. I am sure that people want to go on no matter what, we will think about them and do the honour of looking to the future
My Kitchen Stories recently posted..Quick Mexican Chicken

81 Kiran May 31, 2013 at 12:33 AM

Tania — thank you for being so compassionate.

82 Jen L | Tartine and Apron Strings May 27, 2013 at 9:38 PM

I like that Hippocrates quote! I truly believe that food is medicine; food is healing…the right foods, that is! And this methi chicken is terrific! I know fenugreek helps get over the common cold faster. This is a real “comfort food”!
Jen L | Tartine and Apron Strings recently posted..Red Cabbage and Mango Slaw

83 Kiran May 31, 2013 at 12:35 AM

Jen — thanks my dear. And yes, the right food — heals 🙂

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