Are you sick of eating the same old chicken curry? Tonight, let's devour this insanely scrumptious Saag Wala Chicken or Palak Chicken. This creamy, flavorful, and nutrient-rich dish is sure to become your family's new favourite thanks to a fantastic melody of spinach, chicken, and aromatic spices. All leafy green recipes made with either spinach leaves, fenugreek leaves, mustard leaves, or collard leaves are referred to as "saag" in Punjabi. This traditional Indian dish made with fresh spinach leaves is saag wala chicken, also known as palak chicken or spinach chicken. Totally captivating and a true keeper! There are several names for this dish, including palak murgh, palak chicken, saag murgh, and saag chicken. They all have the same meaning. Murgh and palak both refer to chicken.
Ingredients:
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
2 pounds fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped
¼ cup water
2 large onions, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
1 tbsp water, if needed
¼ cup milk
1 tsp garam masala
6 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp butter
Method:
A large skillet with medium heat is preheated. Add the chicken pieces and cook for about 8 minutes per side, or until browned. Chicken should be set aside. 1/4 cup of water should be added to the spinach in a big pot. Once the spinach comes to a boil, cover the pot, and turn off the heat. In a blender, pulse spinach until very finely chopped after allowing it to steam for about 10 minutes. Separate the spinach. In a skillet, add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Fry for about 10 minutes, stirring often, at medium heat, until the onions are gently browned. Add tomatoes, ground coriander, salt, cayenne pepper, turmeric, cardamom, and cloves. Stir in 1 tablespoon water, then boil for 10 minutes while constantly stirring. Add the milk and blend by stirring. Add the chicken pieces that have been browned; bring to a simmer; lower heat; cover; and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Garam masala and spinach are added; the spinach is cooked for 15 minutes or until it begins to stick to the skillet. Add the sour cream, then boil the mixture. Once the heat is off, whisk in the butter.
Quick Tips
Always give the marinating process enough time—at least 3 to 4 hours. You can even marinate for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator if you have the time. As the chicken tenderises, marinating will help it absorb all the great flavours.
Although mustard oil gives this dish depth of flavour, you are free to use any other oil in its place.
Mutton can be used in place of chicken, however the total cooking time will change because lamb takes longer to cook.
Swap cashew cream for cream to make the palak chicken extra creamy. A rich, velvety texture will be added to the chicken with cashew cream.