With simple means, you can create a delicious, flavorful, and creamy chicken curry. Saag Chicken is a classic Indian curry dish. In addition to spices, only a few ingredients are needed and if you have ready-made Indian base available, it is also a very quick dish to prepare. Try our version of Saag Chicken - it’s so good! I usually make double or triple baches and put in the freezer. As always – Indian food does well if the flavors get a chance to merge.
You will need
1 tbsp + 2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup Indian base (see recipe at the bottom)
or
3 tbsp + 2 tbsp canola oil
2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic, finely grated
2 tbsp ginger, finely grated
Spice mix
1 ½ tsp flaky salt or sea salt
1 ½ tsp ground coriander powder
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp Indian chili powder with heat or cayenne pepper (more or less depending on desired strength)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup water
9 oz washed and dried baby spinach or trimmed regular spinach
1.1 lbs chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cup plain full fat Greek yogurt
How to make it
1. Heat up oil in a pot on high medium heat. Add Indian base and fry while stirring for about 5 minutes. If there’s no Indian base is ready - add onion and fry first on high medium heat until all liquid has boiled away and then on low temperature until the mixture has softened. Lower the heat if the onion starts to brown. The onion should be cooked on low heat until it “melted” but not browned. Stir occasionally. It takes about 1 hour. Then add garlic and ginger and continue to cook on low heat for another 30 minutes. Continue stirring occasionally.
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup Indian base (see recipe at the bottom)
or
3 tbsp canola oil
2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic, finely grated
2 tbsp ginger, finely grated
2. Add all the spices to a small bowl and mix. Add the spice mix to the Indian base. Fry while stirring for 1 minute until everything is well mixed and the spices are roasted, and the flavors have reached a depth.
1 ½ tsp flaky salt or sea salt
1 ½ tsp ground coriander powder
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp Indian chili powder with heat or cayenne pepper (more or less depending on desired strength)
3. Measure the water in a bowl and add tomato paste. Stir until the paste has completely dissolved. Then stir down the tomato water in the spice mixture in the pan so that it becomes a thick spice sauce. Continue stirring for a minute.
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup water
4. Add spinach and stir so that it mixes with the sauce. Put on a lid and increase to medium-high heat. Simmer until the spinach has wilted and shrunk together for approximately 5 minutes. Lift the lid now and then and give it a stir. Continue like this until all spinach has wilted. Remove the lid and stir until the spinach is ready but still clear green - it takes about another minute.
9 oz washed and dried baby spinach or trimmed regular spinach
5. Put the contents of the pot in a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture is relatively smooth but with some texture left. Taste and adjust with more spices if needed.
6. Wipe out the pot with a paper and put the pot back on the plate at medium-high temperature. Add more canola oil. Put salt and pepper on the chicken and fry it until it is almost cooked through, about 5 - 7 minutes.
2 tbsp canola oil
1.1 lbs chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
7. Pour the spinach mixture over the chicken, add the honey, and stir so that everything blends. Let the mixture simmer on low medium heat for 5 minutes and stir regularly so that the flavors merge and the chicken is fully cooked.
1 tbsp honey
8. Stir in yogurt a spoonful at the time and let it incorporate to the sauce. Cook for a minute or two.
1/2 cup plain full fat Greek yogurt
Serve with basmati rice, naan bread and a salad or vegetable.
Indian base (yielding about 2.5 cups of finished base)
1/3 cup canola oil
2.75 pounds onion, peeled weight
1/2 cup grated ginger
2 heads of garlic
1. Finely chop the onion. It’s easiest to cut it into rough pieces and place it in a food processor, pulsing until finely chopped.
2.75 pounds onion, peeled weight
2. Peel and grate the ginger and garlic.
1/2 cup grated ginger
2 heads of garlic
3. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or pot and add the onions. Cook on high heat for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Ensure that the onions do not brown.
1/3 cup canola oil
4. Reduce the heat to low and let the onions melt without browning. This takes time. Stir occasionally for about an hour.
5. Add the ginger and garlic and mix well. Continue to cook the mixture on low heat for another half hour up to one hour. The onions should not be browned but be melted and have the consistency of a purée. Freeze in 1 cup portions. Since this takes time, I usually make the base in several pots at the same time. Once you have the base, cooking goes relatively quickly.
1/2 cup grated ginger
2 heads of garlic, grated
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