Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Methi Murgh
377 kcal a serving, against 483 for the traditional version. That is 106 kcal off, or 22%, with 48.1g of protein. Serves 4. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Tender chunks of chicken thigh simmered in a heavy base of melted ghee, fried onions and tomatoes. It is loaded with earthy fenugreek and finished with a massive pour of double cream to bind everything into a ridiculously rich, thick sauce.
What changed, and what each change costs
150g of double cream and 50g of ghee for 200g of fat-free Greek yoghurt and 15g of ghee
Ghee and double cream are the primary culprits for the massive energy load in restaurant curries. I use Greek yoghurt stabilised with a touch of gram flour instead. It gives you a thick, tangy sauce that cuts through the bitter fenugreek perfectly, while aggressively pushing up the meat-to-fat ratio. The tiny bit of ghee is just enough to fry the onions properly.
What it costs you. You completely lose that glossy, ultra-rich dairy finish that coats your tongue. The yoghurt sauce has a sharper, more acidic edge and a much lighter texture. It lacks the sheer physical weight of the original.
600g of chicken up to 800g
Taking away all that heavy dairy leaves a physical gap in the pan. I fill that space with extra chicken thigh to make this a truly substantial meal. It is the first rule of fixing a curry: dropping the fat means you need to increase the meat to get a decent return on your dinner.
What it costs you. Your butcher bill goes up slightly and your chewing time increases. That's literally the only downside. More chicken thigh in a curry is always a massive win in my book.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 483 | 377 |
| Protein | 33.7g | 48.1g |
| Fat | 33.2g | 13.4g |
| Saturated fat | 17.9g | 4.7g |
| Carbohydrate | 13.6g | 15.8g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 7g | 12.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
This hits all the right notes for a proper earthy dinner without the heavy dairy baggage dragging you down. The fenugreek still delivers that distinctive savoury hit, but the yoghurt base keeps everything bright, sharp and highly edible. So: a solid, meat-heavy main course that leaves you feeling genuinely satisfied. A rich cream soup with a bit of chicken floating in it was never on the table once the fat came out. The extra meat makes all the difference.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback