Palak chicken curry | Spinach chicken curry | Chicken saag recipe

Chicken Curry Recipe Indian is always a treat to have for any non-vegetarian around the world. The extraordinary usage of spices and the comforting taste of the curry makes any Indian chicken curry unique and scrumptious. Palak chicken curry is one of the best examples of it. The combination of chicken and healthy spinach leaves is enough to makes it special.

Palak chicken curry can be prepared mainly in two different ways.

In both ways, the chicken curry tastes luscious but the texture of both the curries will be completely different from each other. Today, I am going to share the first type of palak chicken curry aka spinach chicken curry with you using spinach puree.

Whenever weekends knock at the door, the first thing that clicks on any non-vegetarian’s mind is a spicy, flavoured chicken curry with either rice or flat bread. This comforting meal has been providing satisfaction, ease and warmth from years to many houses. The palak chicken curry could be a perfect replacement of a regular chicken curry to make the weekend meal more exciting and colourful.

This palak chicken recipe is a perfect chicken curry which has got the perfect balance of taste and health. This could be a great addition to your diet and also a great option for lunchbox with a pair of chapattis.

Palak chicken curry is a very simple and easy to make chicken recipe. It requires very limited and easily available ingredients of any Indian kitchen pantry to get prepared. The best part is that it gets prepared very quickly without any fuss. Spinach pulao recipe is a perfect solution for moms to make their kids eat green leafy vegetable (Spinach) with their own consent.

First time, I had this chicken saag recipe in a Punjabi restaurant and I loved it. After that, I prepared the dish at home and everyone loved it, especially my daughter who always refuses to eat spinach. Since then palak chicken has become one of the regular dishes of our weekend lunch table.

Palak chicken recipe step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share few interesting facts about the recipe and the hero ingredient of the recipe ‘Spinach’.

Variation in palak chicken

There are myriad variations that can be done with the palak chicken recipe.

Health benefits of Spinach

How to make palak chicken?

To prepare the palak chicken curry, first clean and wash the chicken pieces. Then marinate the chicken for half an hour to 45 minutes with salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice. Cover the bowl and keep it aside.

In the meantime, wash the spinach leaves aka palak and blanch it for 2-3 minutes. Then immediately strain it and put it either in iced water or cold water to let the spinach cool down. Put the blanched spinach in the jar of a mixer grinder and make a smooth puree with it. Add some water if required.

Finely chop onions, garlic, tomatoes for the curry.

After this, put a pan on flame and oil to cook. Temper the whole spices cinnamon stick, cardamoms, cloves and allow them to crackle.

Add garlic and cook it till golden. Then add the chopped onions and cook them over medium flame for around 10-12 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste and cook it in low flame for another 2-3 minutes.

Add tomatoes and cover the pan. Cook it in low flame for 5-6 minutes until the tomatoes get mushy. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the marinated chicken pieces into the pan and mix with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it for 20-25 minutes until oil gets released from the mixture.

Add coriander powder and mix it well. Cook the masala for some time. Add the spinach puree and mix it. Add some water for the gravy. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for another 8-10 minutes.

Add garam masala, fresh cream and kasuri methi, one by one into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it in lowest flame for 1-2 minutes to induce the flavour.

Ingredients:

• 700 grams Chicken, medium pieces with bones and skin off
• 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
• ¾ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
• 1 Lemon, squeezed out fresh for juice
• 1 teaspoon Salt

• 300 grams Spinach
• 3 Onions, finely chopped
• 3-4 medium large cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
• ¾ tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
• 2 Tomatoes, small diced and deseeded
• 3 Cardamoms
• 4 Cloves
• 2-inch Cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ¾ teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• ¾ teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhania powder)
• 3 tablespoons fresh cream (Optional)
• 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
• ½ tablespoon Kasuri methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
• 2 tablespoons Oil, for Cooking
• Salt to taste
• ¾ cup of Water for Gravy

1. Wash and clean the chicken pieces and keep them in a large mixing bowl.
   

2. Add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and lemon juice one by one into the bowl. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly so all the chicken pieces get coated evenly with the spices. Cover the bowl and allow it to rest for 45 minutes.
   
   

3. In the meantime, wash the palak or spinach leaves thoroughly in running water. Then take a pan and add water to boil. Add the spinach into the boiled water and boil it for 3-4 minutes. Strain the spinach and immediately put it either in cold water or iced water to cool down. This step helps to preserve the green colour of spinach.
   
   

4. Transfer the spinach leaves into a jar of a mixer grinder. Close the lid and pulse it to a smooth puree. Keep the puree aside.
   
   

5. On the other hand, take a pan on flame. Add oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
   

6. Add the whole spices – 2 inches Cinnamon sticks, 3 Cardamom, 4 Cloves into the pan and let them crackle.
   

7. Add chopped Garlic into the pan and fry them till golden.
   

8. Add chopped Onions and fry them in medium flame for 10-12 minutes. Stir in between.
   

9. Add ¾ tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste and cook them for another 3-4 minutes in low flame.
   

10. Add the chopped Tomatoes and mix it nicely. Cover the pan and cook them for 5-6 minutes in low flame until the tomatoes get mushy. Stir in between once if required.
    

11. Add Salt, Turmeric powder, Chilli powder and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for another 2-3 minutes.
    

12. Add the marinated Chicken (Step 2) into the pan and give a nice mix.
    

13. Cover the pan and cook it in medium flame for 20 minutes till the Chicken starts releasing oil. Stir in between.
    

14. Add ¾ teaspoon Coriander powder and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for 2-3 minutes.
    

15. Add the spinach puree (Step 4) into the pan and mix it nicely.
    

16. Cover the pan and cook it in medium flame for 3-4 minutes.
17. Add ¾ cup water into the pan and give a nice stir.
    

18. Cover the pan and put the flame in high until the gravy simmers.
    

19. Put the flame in low and cook it for another 5 minutes.
20. Add 3 tablespoons fresh cream, 1 teaspoon garam masala and mix it well.
    
    

21. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for a minute.
22. Sprinkle kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) at the end and give a nice mix.
    

23. Put the flame in high for 30-40 seconds and then switch off the flame.
    

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