Sometimes I amuse myself. This is one of those times. Methi chicken curry. Simple. And seriously delicious.
This one is deceptive. If you look at the ingredients it’s a curry with methi leaves. You might think so what?
But that one ingredient changes everything. The fresh methi leaves add a slightly sour, herbal note. It’s surprising what a difference it makes.
Oh, and there’s hotel gravy. That changes everything too. Double curry flavour slam.
If you’ve never tried methi chicken curry you are missing out. You have to try it to understand.
I don’t know why it took me so long to get to this one. Sorry about that. Here it is. Finally.
Methi matters for methi chicken curry
Not a shocker I’m sure. Methi chicken curry has methi in the name. So methi matters.
It has to be fresh. Methi leaves. No stems. Fresh leaves. There’s no substitute. Don’t bother asking. I will just say no and point you to another dish.
There’s no conversion. There’s no – “can I substitute cilantro”. That would be cilantro chicken. It’s like asking if you can substitute pomegranates for onions. You’ll be making something. But it won’t be methi chicken curry.
I tried frozen methi. I figured spinach works. So methi could too. Then everyone could make this dish. I was wrong. Very wrong.
Turns out that stuff is just terrible. Bitter. Full of stems. At least the stuff I got.
Frozen methi is just not good. I threw it out. I really don’t like waste but there is no fixing it. Have you ever tried frozen brussel sprouts? Like that bad. Some things just shouldn’t exist.
And dried isn’t the same either. At all. Add a half cup of dried methi and you’ll get something you won’t be happy with.
So look for fresh methi. It isn’t that hard. I can get it at a grocery store where I am. Not just the Indian grocer. The plain old every day grocer.
The sign might say fenugreek leaves. That’s another name for the same stuff.
Watch for it. You will be glad you did.
There’s restaurant style cooking
If you’re after exactly what they serve at restaurants you’re in luck. There are lots of restaurant style curries on glebekitchen. Tons.
And they are really good. Great even. If I say so myself. I’m shameless. I know.
Getting Indian restaurant results isn’t that hard. You just need to cook like a restaurant. Use the same techniques. The same ingredients. It’s totally doable.
Start with this primer on restaurant style curries . You’ll learn exactly how to do it. Not sort of. Not almost. Exactly how. For real.
And then there’s hotel style
Hotel style is restaurant cooking too. But it’s not quite the same.
It’s how high end restaurants cook. Really posh restaurants. Where they can afford to deliver the absolute best.
The techniques are similar. Mostly. If you know restaurant style already you’ll understand.
The difference is in the gravy. Hotel style curry gravy is not the same as your regular curry base.
The flavours are bigger. Deeper. More intense. This is cooking to impress. This is wow factor stuff.
The work is done up front. And it’s more work. That’s why every restaurant doesn’t do it. Work costs money. Work erodes profits. Or raises prices.
It’s easier when it’s time to make dinner though. Way less messy. Piece of cake really. And you make the gravy in batches. Freeze it. And just pull it out when you need it.
It’s worth it. Try it once. You’ll see.
Hotel style methi chicken curry
This one is worth trying. It’s really surprising how good it is. If they serve it at your local Indian restaurant you probably already know that.
But if you haven’t tried it. Or if you have but you’ve never tried making it. Or if you just want to make really, really good methi chicken curry. Then give this one a go.
methi chicken curry – Indian hotel style
Ingredients
The spice mix
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 -2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp kasoor methi – dried fenugreek leaves
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp garam masala – you can push this a bit if you really like garam masala but don’t go overboard
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
methi chicken curry
- 3 tbsp neutral oil e.g. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seed
- 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste – recipe link below
- the spice mix from above
- 1 cup Indian hotel curry gravy – Recipe link in the notes. Don’t worry if it seems too thick. The juices from the chicken will thin it out.
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 4 pieces each
- 1/4 cup chicken stock – up to 1/4 cup as needed. Add enough to get the curry to the consistency you like.
- 1/2 cup methi leaves – fresh methi leaves without any stems. Stem free zone. And not dried. Please not dried…
Instructions
Do your prep
- Measure out your spices. Prep your chicken. Measure out a cup (237 ml) of Indian hotel curry gravy.
- Remove the fresh methi leaves from the stems. Discard the stems. You want 1/2 cup of loosely packed methi leaves. Pulling the methi stalks through the hole in a colander makes quick work of this.
Make the methi chicken curry
- Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan over medium heat until the oil just starts to shimmer.
- Add the cumin seeds. You want the oil hot enough that little bubbles form but not so hot you burn your cumin seeds. If it’s too hot lift the pan from the heat and hope you were fast enough.
- Stir in the garlic ginger paste. Gently fry until the garlic ginger paste stops sputtering. This can get a little messy.
- Turn your heat down to medium low and add your spice mix. Cook for about 30 seconds. You want to fry your spices in the oil. Don’t skimp on the oil. Bad things happen if the spices stick and burn. You cannot fix burned spices. Just start over if that happens.
- Add the Indian hotel curry gravy. Stir it really well to get the oil to combine with the curry gravy. You want everything mixed together at this point. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the fresh methi leaves.
- Add the chicken thigh pieces in a single layer. Nestle them down into the sauce. Cover and cook about 5 minutes. Remove the cover, flip the chicken and recover. Cook until the chicken is done. Use an instant read thermometer if you have one. You are shooting for an internal temperature of 160F. It will get to 170F as the curry finishes cooking.
- Look at the consistency. You have a decision to make. If the chicken threw a lot of liquid the sauce might be right. If not, add a tablespoon or two of chicken stock and mix it in. Look again. If you are happy with it, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. If it’s still too thick, add a bit more stock. I’ve never added more than a 1/4 cup.
- Methi chicken and rice or flatbread and a nice tarka dal or chana masala makes a fine dinner!
Notes
Nutrition
methi chicken curry - Indian hotel style
Ingredients
The spice mix
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 -2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp kasoor methi - dried fenugreek leaves
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp garam masala - you can push this a bit if you really like garam masala but don’t go overboard
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
methi chicken curry
- 3 tbsp neutral oil e.g. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seed
- 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste - recipe link below
- the spice mix from above
- 1 cup Indian hotel curry gravy - Recipe link in the notes. Don’t worry if it seems too thick. The juices from the chicken will thin it out.
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 4 pieces each
- 1/4 cup chicken stock - up to 1/4 cup as needed. Add enough to get the curry to the consistency you like.
- 1/2 cup methi leaves - fresh methi leaves without any stems. Stem free zone. And not dried. Please not dried…
Instructions
Do your prep
- Measure out your spices. Prep your chicken. Measure out a cup (237 ml) of Indian hotel curry gravy.
- Remove the fresh methi leaves from the stems. Discard the stems. You want 1/2 cup of loosely packed methi leaves. Pulling the methi stalks through the hole in a colander makes quick work of this.
Make the methi chicken curry
- Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan over medium heat until the oil just starts to shimmer.
- Add the cumin seeds. You want the oil hot enough that little bubbles form but not so hot you burn your cumin seeds. If it’s too hot lift the pan from the heat and hope you were fast enough.
- Stir in the garlic ginger paste. Gently fry until the garlic ginger paste stops sputtering. This can get a little messy.
- Turn your heat down to medium low and add your spice mix. Cook for about 30 seconds. You want to fry your spices in the oil. Don’t skimp on the oil. Bad things happen if the spices stick and burn. You cannot fix burned spices. Just start over if that happens.
- Add the Indian hotel curry gravy. Stir it really well to get the oil to combine with the curry gravy. You want everything mixed together at this point. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the fresh methi leaves.
- Add the chicken thigh pieces in a single layer. Nestle them down into the sauce. Cover and cook about 5 minutes. Remove the cover, flip the chicken and recover. Cook until the chicken is done. Use an instant read thermometer if you have one. You are shooting for an internal temperature of 160F. It will get to 170F as the curry finishes cooking.
- Look at the consistency. You have a decision to make. If the chicken threw a lot of liquid the sauce might be right. If not, add a tablespoon or two of chicken stock and mix it in. Look again. If you are happy with it, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. If it’s still too thick, add a bit more stock. I’ve never added more than a 1/4 cup.
- Methi chicken and rice or flatbread and a nice tarka dal or chana masala makes a fine dinner!
Notes
Nutrition
Birria tacos are hands down the craziest tacos ever. Birria. Melted cheese. Fried tortillas. Onions. Cilantro. Lime. Amazing.
And all that gets dipped in an unbelievably delicious sauce. That’s the consomé. It’s just diabolical.
Think I’m overselling? I don’t. Birria tacos are a thing for a reason. A very good reason.
Birria tacos start with birria de res con consomé
I love all Mexican food. But I don’t think there’s anything that can quite touch a good birria de res. Barbacoa comes close. Cochinita pibil does too. A really good mole is hard to beat.
But a well executed birria de res con consomé is a cut above. Serious, serious business.
If you’ve never tried it think about the best chili you’ve ever had. Now think of the best stew you’ve ever had.
Put those concepts together and you’ll start to have an idea what birria de res is all about. It’s a fairly demanding recipe. But so worth it.
Ever eat something that made you lick the plate? This is in that class. Lick the plate. Lick the spoon. I’d stick my head in the pot if I could make it fit.
The beef is wonderfully seasoned. But it’s the consomé that makes it what it is. A mix of guajillo, ancho and morita chilies. Really good beef stock. Tomatoes. And the flavour of the beef.
Now imagine if you took that and make birria tacos? That’s magic in a tortilla.
The quesa taco is some kind of genius
Birria tacos came out of Tijuana. Made it big in Los Angeles. And now the word is spreading around the world. They call it the quesa taco. Because it’s somewhere between a taco and a quesadilla.
Regular birria tacos takes everything nice and slam it into one bite. One glorious, wonderful bite. I’m a huge fan.
When you put the whole quesa taco thing on top though? That’s a culinary experience.
Imagine for a second.
Take a nice fresh corn tortilla. Dip it into the chili broth from the birria de res. The sauce I’d lick off your plate in front of my mother.
Fry that dipped tortilla. So it’s a bit crispy.
Add some cheese. Gooey melted cheese. I could stop here and it would rock my world. But it’s just getting started.
Top the cheese with beef. Drizzle it with bit of sauce. Fold it over and fry it a bit longer. So it gets that perfect – not quite crunch – toothy goodness.
Think that’s off the scale? Read on. There’s more. Told you this was diabolical.
It’s the consomé dip makes this one crazy taco
Take that crispy, beefy wonderful taco. Dip it in the consomé. And put that in your mouth.
The sauce runs all over your hands. Down your face maybe. You lick your fingers. Maybe even the back of your hand. Not elegant. But so good.
Go ahead. Do it. Live large. It’s good for the soul.
At the end you have a bowl of consomé. It might have a few sheds of beef in it from the taco. Or a bit of cheese.
That bowl of consomé is the final glory. The thing that pushes this right over the top. You drink the consomé. Truly decadent. Absolutely wonderful.
Birria tacos. Messy. Fun. Incredibly delicious. Everyone needs to try these. Buy them. Or make them. Just find a way to eat them. Your mouth will thank you.
birria tacos
Equipment
- Non-stick skillet(s)
Ingredients
- 16 corn tortillas
- 16 oz queso oaxaca shredded. A grated full fat mozzarella works is a pretty good substitute. Something mild that melts easily is what you are after.
- birria de res con consomé – recipe link below
- 1 white onion finely diced
- 1 bunch cilantro finely diced
- 4 limes quartered
Instructions
Make your birria de res ahead of time
- Birria de res is a braised beef recipe. It takes time. Hours. Don’t think this is a 30 minute recipe start to finish. It’s 30 minutes after you make your birria de res. That takes hours.
birria tacos – quesa tacos
- Pre-heat your oven to 225F. You will need it to keep the tacos warm as you make them. Or you can just feed people as they come out of the pan. That’s fun standing in the kitchen type dining with friends.
- Figure out how many flat tortillas will fit in your pan(s). This is your “at a time” number. Now figure out how many folded over (look at the pictures) tacos will fit in your pan(s). This is your batch size. Your batch size number should be double your “at a time” number.
- Separate (strain) your birria de res. Shed the beef if you haven’t already. Thin your consomé. so it’s about the consistency of whole milk. You should have lots. Keep your consomé warm in one saucepan. Keep the beef warm in another saucepan. You are ready to go.
- If you are a semi-confident cook you can run two pans at once. It’s not that hard. Non-stick is important for this recipe. I don’t recommend non-stick often but this is one of those times.
- Pre-heat your skillet over medium low heat. Film your non-stick skillet(s) with a little oil. Dip a tortilla in the consomé. You want it completely coated. Place it in the pan. Repeat until you have reached your “at a time” number.
- Fry for one minute. Flip the tortillas (be careful not to tear them). Add about an ounce of grated/shredded cheese. Let it melt. That should take about 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Don’t be tempted to crank the heat to speed this up. You don’t want to burn the tortillas.
- Once the cheese is melted you have decision to make. You can sprinkle a bit of onion and cilantro over the cheese so it’s in the taco. Or you can leave it out at this point and just sprinkle it on the cheesy edge once it’s cooked. Or both. Up to you. I’ve tried it different ways and I don’t have a strong preference. It’s hard not to make this taste incredible.
- After you have made the decision add enough birria beef to cover one half of the tortilla. Don’t look at the picture where I put it in the middle. I wasn’t thinking – just wanted a nice picture. My bad there. Sorry.
- Drizzle a bit of consomé on the beef and fold the side without the beef over the side that does. Think quesadilla here. Remove from the pan. Set aside and repeat the whole process.
- If your pan is dirty wipe it out. A dirty pan make tortillas stick. Sticking tortillas rip. Ripped tortillas make grumpy cooks. So wipe out your pan. And be happy.
- At this point you will have one of your batches done. Set that aside and repeat the whole process again. And again. Until it’s all done.
- You want to move fairly quickly at this point. Return one batch to the pan to warm through. Transfer that batch to the oven. Repeat until your last batch is in the pan. That batch doesn’t go in the oven. Pull the rest of them from the oven and serve.
- To serve place two tacos on the plate. Serve with a small bowl of consomé and a lime wedge or two. Tell your guests to dip the taco in the consomé and then take a bite. Dip again. Another bite. Like a beef dip sandwich done Mexican style. Messy. Delicious. Fun.
