Creamy Fenugreek Chicken with Jeera Cauliflower Rice

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A rich North Indian dhaba-style curry: chicken thighs simmered in a green-chili, ginger and almond cream sauce perfumed with two kinds of fenugreek. It's silky, faintly bitter-sweet, and thickened with almond flour instead of cashew paste or flour, so it stays low-carb. Served over cumin-tempered cauliflower rice that soaks up every drop of the malai gravy.

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1½-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp grated garlic
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 3 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 serrano chiles, split lengthwise
• 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 cups fresh fenugreek leaves or baby spinach, packed and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 24 oz riced cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Toss the chicken pieces with the yogurt, ginger, garlic, ground coriander and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl until evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prep everything else (or refrigerate up to 8 hours).
2. Heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a wide 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and crushed cardamom pods and fry for 30 to 40 seconds, until the cumin sizzles and smells toasty.
3. Add the onion and split serranos and cook, stirring often, for 7 to 9 minutes, until the onion is soft and pale gold at the edges. Do not let it brown deeply — this gravy should stay ivory-green.
4. Stir in the almond flour and turmeric and toast for 1 minute, until the almond flour smells nutty. Add the water, scrape the pan bottom, and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Add the marinated chicken along with all of its yogurt marinade. Stir to combine, cover, and simmer over medium-low for 12 minutes, stirring twice, until the chicken is just cooked through (165°F at the center of a large piece).
6. Uncover and stir in the heavy cream and garam masala. Add the fresh fenugreek or spinach in handfuls, letting each wilt before adding the next, about 3 minutes total.
7. Crush the kasuri methi between your palms directly into the pan. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, until the gravy coats a spoon and glossy pools of ghee rise to the surface. Stir in the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt; taste and adjust salt. Turn the heat off and cover to keep warm.
8. Make the cauliflower rice: heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle for 20 seconds, then add the riced cauliflower and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
9. Cook the cauliflower, stirring every minute, for 6 to 8 minutes (8 to 10 if using frozen), until the moisture has cooked off and the grains are tender with a few toasted golden spots. Fold in the cilantro off the heat.
10. Spoon the cauliflower rice into warm bowls, ladle the methi malai chicken over the top with plenty of gravy, and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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