Methi kukkur (Chicken cooked in fenugreek leaves from North India)

1.2kg whole chicken
150g yoghurt
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoon green chilli paste
5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1.2kg whole chicken
150g yoghurt
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoon green chilli paste
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 green cardamom pods
1 black cardamom pod
3 cloves
2.5cm cassia bark or cinnamon stick
400g onions, thinly sliced
40g ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
200g tomatoes, chopped
3 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaf powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped root ginger
2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

Garnish
large handful of fresh fenugreek leaves
oil, to deep-fry

Joint the chicken into 8 pieces, remove skin and put the chicken pieces into a shallow dish. Mix the yoghurt with 1 teaspoon salt and the green chilli paste. Spread over the whole chicken, cover and leave to marinate in a cool place for 45 minutes.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Add the cardamom pods, cloves and cassia or cinnamon and sauté until the spices crackle. Add the sliced onions and sauté until softened. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook well for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, coriander and red chilli powder and sauté for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes until soft and the fat separates from the sauce.

Add the chicken pieces with the marinade and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes until tender.

Rinse the fenugreek leaves, drain well and pat dry. Heat the oil for deep-frying to 180C and deep-fry the fenugreek for 20-30 seconds until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Add the fenugreek leaf powder, chopped ginger and coriander to the chicken. Serve topped with deep-fried fenugreek.