Step by step

Method

4 steps

1. 1

   Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook until deep golden at the edges, 8–10 minutes — pale onion makes flat methi chicken. Stir in 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste 30–45 seconds until the raw smell fades.

2. 2

   Add 1½ lb boneless chicken cut into bite-size pieces. Sear, stirring occasionally, until the outside turns opaque and picks up a little color, about 4–5 minutes — it won't be cooked through yet.

3. 3

   Stir in 1 cup tomato puree, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar (sugar softens methi's bitterness). Cook 2 minutes until the spices smell toasted. Add ½ cup water or yogurt thinned with water and half of 2 tablespoons crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek). Cover and simmer medium-low 12–15 minutes until chicken is tender (165°F or juices run clear) and gravy coats a spoon.

4. 4

   Crush in the remaining methi, cook uncovered 2 minutes so the aroma blooms and any watery edge tightens. Taste — you should get bitter-savory fenugreek balanced by tomato and sugar, not harsh bitterness. Serve with roti or rice. You want tender chicken in a fragrant methi-tomato gravy — not dry chicken or a bitter oversteeped methi stew.