If you fancy making a fragrant chicken curry at home, this easy methi chicken recipe is worth adding to your repertoire. Made with tender chicken thighs, ginger, garlic, warming spices and fenugreek leaves, it delivers plenty of flavour in a smooth tomato and yoghurt sauce.

Methi means fenugreek, and the dried leaves give this curry its distinctive earthy, herbal character. Paired with Lidl’s Várzea do Morão Vinho Verde at 8.5% ABV, it makes a relaxed dinner with an affordable Portuguese wine to accompany it.

Methi Chicken Curry

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 40 minutes | Serves: 2–3

Ingredients

• 600g boneless chicken thigh fillets, diced
• 1 medium onion, finely grated or diced
• 200g passata
• 75g full-fat natural yoghurt
• 2–3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
• 1–2 tsp dried methi (fenugreek leaves)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½–1 tsp chilli powder (or a fresh chilli)
• 100ml water
• Salt and pepper, to taste

To serve: basmati rice or roti bread, with fresh chilli or coriander if desired.

Method

1. Season the chicken. Mix the chicken with the cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and a pinch of salt.

2. Cook the onion. Heat the oil or ghee in a large pan. Cook the onion over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.

3. Add the chicken. Stir in the seasoned chicken and cook for around five minutes, turning until lightly coloured.

4. Simmer the sauce. Add the passata and water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook partially covered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. Add a splash of water if needed.

5. Finish with fenugreek. Crush the dried kasuri methi between your palms and stir it into the curry with the garam masala. Simmer for another three to five minutes.

6. Add the yoghurt. Reduce the heat to low. Mix a spoonful of hot curry sauce into the yoghurt, then gradually stir it into the pan. Warm gently without boiling to help prevent splitting. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve hot with fluffy basmati rice or roti bread.

What Makes Methi Chicken Different?

The defining ingredient is kasuri methi, or dried fenugreek leaves. They add a distinctive herbal flavour with a slight bitterness, complementing the ginger, garlic and warming spices.

Chicken thighs are ideal for this recipe because they stay tender during simmering, while the passata and yoghurt create a smooth, lightly creamy sauce.

Wine Pairing: Lidl Várzea do Morão Vinho Verde

For this curry, I chose Lidl’s Várzea do Morão Vinho Verde, an approachable Portuguese white wine with an alcohol content of 8.5% ABV.

I particularly liked that it wasn’t overly dry. Its fruity character and refreshing acidity worked well alongside the fragrant spices and creamy tomato sauce, without overpowering the chicken.

I’d serve it chilled with a medium-spiced curry. It’s a reminder that a good food and wine pairing doesn’t need an expensive bottle — sometimes a supermarket find is just the thing for a relaxed dinner at home.