Methi Chicken

Go Green seems to be the buzz these days. People have become conscious .... that's the good part. I myself have been carrying stuffs to the recycle centre. Well this reminds me of something ..... J and I went to a Thai restaurant in downtown, quite a decent one. The ambiance was good and the food was even better.

Being weekend, it was a bit over crowded. We waited for couple of minutes till the waiter led us to a nice window side table. Like always I ordered my all time favorite ' Pad Thai' even without looking at the menu. What Dosa is to South Indian restaurants, Pad Thai is to Thai Eateries. J browsed through the elaborate menu and ordered something ...... the names are too complicated to be spelled or even remembered. Who cares as long as it tastes good. Eat it and forget it !! But one thing that I am unable to forget till date about that place is the fresh white glossy sheets of paper they placed on the tables when guests arrived. There was a fresh sheet for every new person at the table. And there were pens to scribble on it. I noticed them change those sheets as guests left. I felt sorry and angry seeing the way paper was wasted .

I know some needy children in orphanages back in India where they long for a simple notebook and pen.And I am sure there are many needy children all over the world.I wished these people understand that small things make a big difference.

I believe that summits and conferences can't change anything. If we really want the world to change, we must change ourselves before changing others !!

So with the slogan 'Go Green' ....... I would like to share the recipe for Methi Chicken with you all.

Have a great Green weekend !!

Preparation Time - 60 minutes
Serves - 4
Ingredients
Boneless Chicken - 1 pound
Chopped Onions - 2 cups
Fresh Chopped Methi Leaves - 2 cups
Chopped Tomatoes - 1.5 cups
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Chicken Masala - 2 tsp
Green Chili - 2
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Kasuri Methi - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
Method of Preparation
1 Wash and clean chicken and cut into small pieces. Keep aside.
2 Wash and clean the methi leaves. Chop methi leaves roughly. Finely chop onions,ginger, garlic, tomato and chilies.
3 Heat oil in a open pan (approx 1.5 tbsp). Add the finely chopped ginger,onion and chilies. Add salt. Fry till translucent and soft. Add the garlic now. Garlic is added later to prevent burning it.Fry for some more time till golden brown.
4 Add red chili powder and turmeric. Mix well. Add the finely chopped tomatoes (I used store bought tomato puree - 2 tsp). Fry till all the ingredients combine well.
5 Now add the chicken pieces and mix well with the masala. Add chicken masala (Any store bought one, I use MDH) and the cumin powder. Mix well. Keep stirring. Do not add any water now. Simply frying the chicken pieces gives it a nice texture.
6 Once the chicken pieces change color and look opaque (whitish), add about 1/3 cup water. Mix in the 2 tsp of curd. Cover the chicken and cook on medium heat. Do stir the chicken intermittently.Add Kasuri Methi.
7 Once the chicken is cooked. Add the chopped methi leaves. Cook for a minute or two. The leaves get cooked in no time.
Serving Tips
Serve hot as a side dish. Goes well with any Indian Flatbread (Roti/Phulka/Naan).
Notes
It is important that you stir the masala frequently.
Variation
I used boneless meat but you may use with bones also.
Use store bought Tomato Puree instead of fresh tomatoes.
You may add little water if you prefer having a gravy.
Other Names

Methi Chicken - Fenugreek Chicken, Methi - Fenugreek, Cumin - Jeera, Kasuri Methi - Dry fenugreek leaves,