Chicken Saag
intro
Tender chicken simmered in velvety spiced spinach gravy, this aromatic North Indian curry is nourishing, comforting, and perfect paired with naan or basmati rice.
Ingredients
Steps
Blanch and puree spinach
Bring 1 liter of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 400g baby spinach, cook for 90 seconds until fully wilted, then drain immediately and plunge into ice water for 2 minutes to stop cooking and lock in bright green color. Squeeze all excess water from the cooled spinach, then blend in a food processor until completely smooth, set aside.
Sear the chicken
Toss 600g of 4cm chicken thigh chunks with 0.5 teaspoon salt, 0.25 teaspoon ground turmeric, and 60ml of the whisked yogurt until evenly coated. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a heavy-bottomed 5L Dutch oven over medium-high heat (190°C/375°F). Add chicken in a single uncrowded layer, cook for 3 minutes per side until light golden brown (chicken will not be fully cooked through), then transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
Saute the aromatics
Reduce heat to medium (165°C/325°F), add the remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee to the same pot. Add finely diced onion, cook for 6 minutes until soft and pale golden. Add minced garlic and grated ginger, cook for 60 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add diced Roma tomatoes, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 0.75 teaspoon turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, and Kashmiri red chili powder, stir to combine, and cook for 4 minutes until tomatoes break down into a thick, fragrant paste.
Simmer the chicken
Return seared chicken and any accumulated plate juices to the pot with the spice paste. Stir to coat every chicken piece evenly in the paste, cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the remaining 60ml of whisked yogurt, stir constantly for 3 minutes until the yogurt is fully incorporated with no lumps. Reduce heat to medium-low (150°C/300°F), cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes until chicken is nearly cooked through, stirring once at the 5-minute mark to prevent sticking.
Mix in spinach puree
Stir the smooth reserved spinach puree into the pot, mixing fully until the gravy becomes a uniform deep green color. Add 60ml heavy cream, stir to combine, bring to a gentle simmer, then cook uncovered for 5 minutes over medium-low heat to let flavors meld, tasting and adjusting salt if needed.
Rest and serve
Turn off the heat, stir in 1.5 teaspoons of garam masala, then cover the pot and let the curry rest for 5 minutes to allow flavors to deepen. Sprinkle the remaining 0.5 teaspoon garam masala and chopped fresh cilantro over the top right before serving alongside warm naan or basmati rice.
Tips
2.Always whisk yogurt until completely smooth before adding it to the hot pot, and stir nonstop as you pour it in to prevent the yogurt from curdling and splitting the sauce.
3.For the juiciest chicken, use boneless skinless thighs instead of breast meat; breast will become dry and tough during the simmering time if overcooked.
OMG this was SO good!!! I’ve been scared to make Indian curries at home because I always thought they needed a million hard to find spices, but this came together so easily with stuff I already had in my pantry! My 7 and 9 year old ate two servings each and asked if we can have it for dinner again next week. Total game changer for our weeknight meal rotation.
Made this for my potluck at work last week and people were literally coming up to ask for the recipe before I even finished my plate. I added a little extra heavy cream because I love that rich texture, and threw in a can of chickpeas for some extra fiber. 10/10, will make again.
Perfect for my Sunday meal prep! I made a big batch on Sunday and portioned it out with basmati rice for lunches all week, and it reheated like a dream. The spice level was totally mild enough that I didn’t have to worry about it being too much for my sensitive stomach, but I added a pinch of red chili flakes to my own portion for a little kick. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I wish the recipe noted how long to let the chicken simmer to get it extra tender, I overcooked mine a tiny bit the first go around. Still delicious though!
Wait, is this supposed to be as thick as it is? I followed the recipe exactly but my curry turned out really watery? I even used full fat coconut milk like it said, not the light stuff. Wondering if I messed up a step somewhere. Flavor was amazing though, just the texture was off for me.
My teen son is obsessed with that saag paneer from our local Indian takeout spot, so I swapped the chicken for paneer to see if he’d like it, and he said it tasted exactly like the restaurant version! Saved us $30 on takeout this week, can’t beat that.
I’ve tried like 4 different chicken saag recipes online and this is by far the best one. The garam masala to cream ratio is perfect, not too heavy, not too watery, the spinach flavor really shines instead of being overpowered by spices. I served it with garlic naan I picked up from the grocery store bakery and it felt like a fancy Friday night dinner without the fancy price tag. No notes, this is my new go-to.
So happy this recipe is naturally gluten free! I have celiac so I’m always paranoid about hidden gluten in sauce mixes, but this is all whole ingredients so I didn’t have to stress at all. I did substitute Greek yogurt for the heavy cream to cut a few calories and it still turned out super creamy, no curdling at all if you temper it first.
Made this for our football watch party last Sunday alongside some samosas and rice, and even the guys who only eat burgers and brats were going back for seconds. I upped the cayenne a little to give it a tiny kick, which was perfect for a cold game day. This is gonna be a regular on our fall menu for sure!
Okay I’ve literally never made any kind of Indian food before in my life, and I was so nervous this would turn out bad, but it was INCREDIBLE. I followed the steps exactly, watched the little video clip a couple times before starting, and my whole family said it was better than our usual takeout spot. The creamy spinach sauce is so addictive I was licking the spoon after I was done serving everyone.