Methi chicken with lentils and coriander

Name: Methi chicken with lentils and coriander
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian recipes
Ingredients: 5 small onions, 3 cut into fine rings and 2 finely chopped; 4 tbsp sunflower oil; 1 long red chilli, deseeded and chopped; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 4cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 8 skinless chicken thigh fillets, each cut into 4; 1/2 tsp each fenugreek and cumin seeds; 150g red split lentils, soaked for 20 minutes; 250g soya yogurt; Few fresh coriander leaves and roasted cashew nuts, to serve

Published: 31 Aug 04
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Methi chicken is a fenugreek scented Indian dish, ours is plumped up with lentils and dairy-free yoghurt for a healthy kick.

Serves 4
Takes 40 minutes to make and 40 minutes to cook

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Ingredients

5 small onions, 3 cut into fine rings and 2 finely chopped
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1 long red chilli, deseeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
8 skinless chicken thigh fillets, each cut into 4
1/2 tsp each fenugreek and cumin seeds
150g red split lentils, soaked for 20 minutes
250g soya yogurt
Few fresh coriander leaves and roasted cashew nuts, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Fry the onion rings in 1 tablespoon of oil until golden, and set aside.
Put the 2 chopped onions, chilli, garlic and ginger in a blender with 3 tablespoons of water and purée. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the purée over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring to stop it sticking. Stir in the turmeric.
Season the chicken and brown it in the rest of the oil in a flameproof casserole.
Dry-fry the fenugreek and cumin seeds in a small frying pan until they give off an aroma, about 45 seconds. Roughly crush them in a pestle and mortar and mix into the onion purée, then add to the chicken. Deglaze the frying pan with 500ml of water. Add this water to the chicken along with the lentils and stir well. Cover and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes. Check and, if it has become dry, add a little boiling water. Cook for a further 10 minutes, then turn the oven off.
Whisk the soya yogurt and mix into the chicken. Return the casserole to the oven and leave for 5 minutes. Serve in bowls, scattered with coriander leaves, onion rings and cashew nuts.

Recipe from September 2004 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 411kcals
Fat: 18.1g (2.7g saturated)
Protein: 34.7g
Carbohydrates: 29g (4.8g sugars)
Salt: 0.7g

delicious. tips

Alpro soya dairy-free alternative to yogurt, formally known as Yofu, should be whisked for a few seconds with a balloon whisk before use, so you have a silky-textured product. This is especially important before adding the yogurt to hot dishes such as this one, as the heat can set the grainy texture if it has not been whisked beforehand. It will also heat to just below boiling point, but if boiled for more than a few seconds the grainy texture will return.

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