Chicken in creamy spinach sauce.
Saag refers to any leafy greens; traditionally it's a mix, not just spinach. Adding mustard greens or fenugreek leaves is traditional.
Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) adds authentic flavor. This differs from palak chicken by being richer and more complex.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 1 ½ lb Fresh spinach
- 2 lb Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
- 1 ½ tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 whole Yellow onion, diced
- 6 clove Garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp Fresh ginger, grated
- 1 whole Serrano pepper, minced
- 1 whole Tomato, diced
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- ½ tsp Ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tbsp Garam masala
- ¼ cup Plain yogurt
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), optional
- 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 1 ½ lb Fresh spinach
- 2 lb Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
- 1 ½ tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 whole Yellow onion, diced
- 6 clove Garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp Fresh ginger, grated
- 1 whole Serrano pepper, minced
- 1 whole Tomato, diced
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- ½ tsp Ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tbsp Garam masala
- ¼ cup Plain yogurt
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), optional
- 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro
Instructions
Blanch the spinach
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch spinach 1 minute until wilted. Immediately transfer to ice bath. Once cool, squeeze out excess water and blend to a smooth puree with 0.25 cup water.
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- spinach (1 ½ lb)
Brown the chicken
Season chicken with 0.5 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat (375-400°F surface). Brown chicken in batches, 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- chicken pieces (2 lb)
- salt (½ tsp)
- vegetable oil (3 tbsp)
Build the sauce
Add butter to the pot. Add cumin seeds and let sizzle 30 seconds. Add onion and cook 6 minutes until softened. Add garlic, ginger, and serrano. Cook 2 minutes. Add tomato, ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri chili, and remaining salt. Cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- butter (3 tbsp)
- cumin seeds (1 tsp)
- onion, diced (1 whole)
- garlic, minced (6 clove)
- ginger, grated (2 tbsp)
- serrano, minced (1 whole)
- tomato, diced (1 whole)
- ground cumin (1 tsp)
- coriander (1 tsp)
- turmeric (½ tsp)
- Kashmiri chili (1 tsp)
- salt (1 tsp)
- yogurt (¼ cup)
Combine and finish
Return to medium heat (325-350°F surface). Add spinach puree and stir well. Add chicken and any juices. Simmer 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Stir in cream, garam masala, and kasuri methi if using. Simmer 2 minutes. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice or naan.
Ingredients
- heavy cream (½ cup)
- garam masala (1 tbsp)
- kasuri methi (1 tbsp)
- cilantro (2 tbsp)
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Saag refers to any leafy greens; traditionally it's a mix, not just spinach.
- • Adding mustard greens or fenugreek leaves is traditional.
- • Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) adds authentic flavor.
- • This differs from palak chicken by being richer and more complex.
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