Palak Chicken / Saag Chicken / Palong Saak die Murgi

If you just look at it, then Palack Chicken, is just another chicken curry with the spinach puree. But with butter and garlic and heavy cream...you bet this is really a good one. And since the butter and garlic just complements the flavour of the spinach, Palak Chicken, simply becomes from average to yum!!!

Step by step pictures:

Melt the butter and add the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, green cardamoms, cloves and whole black peppercorns. 

Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.

Add the chopped onions.

Saute the onions until golden.

Add the chicken pieces, tomatoes and salt. Cook until the tomatoes disintegrate.

Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Mix and cook until all the moisture evaporates.

Add the spinach puree and stir to mix.

Cook until the curry thickens and the chicken becomes tender.

Add the remaining butter, garam masala powder, heavy cream and chopped coriander leaves. Mix and simmer for 2 minutes ans switch off the flame.

Palak Chicken / Saag Chicken / Palong Saak die Murgi

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken – on bone

300 gm fresh spinach leaves / 250 gm of frozen spinach

1 and ½ medium / 1 large onion – finely chopped

2 tomatoes – chopped

6 fat cloves of garlic – paste

1 inch ginger – paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 and ½ tsp cumin powder

1 and ½ tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

A handful of fresh coriander leaves – chopped

½ cup of heavy cream

25 gm of butter

2 small cinnamon sticks

3 green cardamoms

3 cloves

6-7 whole black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 tbsp oil

Salt

Method:

Take a pot of water and let it come to a boil.

Add the spinach leaves to the boiling water and blanch for 3-4 minutes.

Drain the water and collect the spinach leaves in a colander. Let them cool down a bit and then blend them into a puree. Collect this puree in a bowl and keep aside.

In a pan / kadai pour the oil and add half of the butter.

As the butter melts add the cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms, cloves, whole black peppercorns, bay leaves and ginger and garlic paste.

Sauté on low flame for 2 minutes or until the garlic starts to become golden.

Add the chopped onions to them.

Sprinkle some salt over them and cook the onions until golden.

When the onions are golden add the chicken and tomatoes to it.

Add some salt for the seasonings and give a good stir to mix everything.

Cover the lid and let the tomatoes become mushy. It will take some 10-12 minutes.

When the tomatoes are mushy, add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder.

Stir and cover again.

Simmer until all the moisture evaporates.

When you can see the oil separating, pour the spinach puree inside the pan.

Stir to mix and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the curry becomes thick.

Chicken should be cooked by now, if not, then add a little water and cook until the chicken pieces become fork tender.

Finally add the heavy cream, remainng butter, chopped coriander leaves and garam masala powder.

Mix and cook for a minute more.

Switch off the flame and serve hot with roti / paratha / simple plain rice.