Mix all the ingredients in the marinade section (chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and yogurt) to prepare the marinade.
Coat the chicken thighs with the marinade till all pieces are evenly covered. Set it aside for about 20 minutes till you get the curry ready.
Making the curry
Select the Saute setting in the Instant Pot and adjust it to normal.
Add oil and once it is hot, add cumin seeds. When it is starts to sizzle, add all the spices - bay leaf, black peppercorns, and cinnamon stick along with ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Let them cook for about 20 seconds or so. Add chopped onions and let it cook till it turns soft and translucent (about 6-8 minutes).
Add chopped methi leaves and mix well. Add the marinated chicken and coconut milk to this curry and stir it in. Let it cook in the sauce for about 2 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons water and mix well. Deglaze - use a spatula to dislodge any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Cover the Instant Pot, set the vent to sealing and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes.
When the cooking cycle is complete, wait for 5 minutes and then move the vent carefully to the venting position.
Open the lid and mix well. Do a taste test and add salt as needed.
If you want a thicker gravy, you can saute it for 5-6 minutes till the gravy thickens.
Serve hot with rice, roti or naan.
Video
Notes
Tips
Marinate the chicken. Do not skip this step. This makes the chicken moist and flavorful.
Clean the methi/fenugreek leaves properly. See the instructions in the FAQ section of the post on how to clean methi.
Don't add more than 2 tablespoons of water to cook the chicken. The Instant Pot does not evaporate water as much as a stovetop pressure cooker does. The yogurt and coconut milk will provide more than enough liquid for the chicken to cook.
Deglaze the pot. Use a spoon to dislodge any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Ingredient swaps / variations
Some substitutions for this Methi Murgh recipe include:
Using heavy cream in place of coconut milk gives a nice creamy finish to the curry. Make sure to add the cream after the chicken is cooked. When you add cream to this dish, it is called Methi Murgh Malai.
Replacing fenugreek leaves with dried methi leaves (kasoori methi). They are so much more potent than the fresh ones. I would just use 1/4th cup to replace 2 cups of fresh ones.
Use tomatoes - Some make this dish with tomatoes too. Just add about 1 cup of chopped tomatoes after the onions have turned translucent and follow the rest of the steps.
Quantity of methi leaves - I usually use between 1-2 cups of cleaned methi leaves. Any more than that and your dish could taste bitter.
Chicken drumsticks - Instead of chicken thighs, you could use drumsticks. Make sure to increase the cooking time to 10 minutes.
How to prep ahead
You can prep ahead by chopping the fenugreek leaves the day before. Make sure to rinse and dry them before placing them in the refrigerator.