Chicken Saagwala- A mildly spicy, zesty but full of flavors Chicken Curry that combines with the goodness of pureed spinach. The result is a dish that you would want to go back to again and again and would also make it on your special lunches or dinners for your guests when they arrive.
Secret sauce to this recipe is usage of fresh Palak (spinach) leaves along with some Sarso (fresh mustard) leaves. While usage of sarso is optional in this recipe, I would want you to try adding it to experience the difference that it makes. It imparts a thick and meaty texture to the gravy which I find missing when only spinach leaves are used.
If you notice, we aren’t using too many dry spices or spice powders in this recipe. We are making use of few handfuls of spice powders like- red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and the ubiquitous garam masala- a signature spice mixture of every Indian household. Every Indian kitchen has its own version of Garam Masala. If you want to check out our version of Garam Masala, here’s the link. The thing with the store bought Garam Masala powder is the absolute lack of aroma or taste. Freshly made Garam masala at home has rich aroma which makes this dish equally aromatic and flavorful when it is opened on your dining table.
Another noticeable and mention worthy aspect of this gravy is its thick texture, since we are not adding too much water to it. It gets cooked in water content naturally released by two of its main ingredients- chicken and spinach. However, if we need, then add some water but do it judiciously. Adding too much water would dilute the thickness and the resultant gravy would not be as flavorsome.
We have also preferred adding pureed tomato than the chopped ones as that’s what imparts it a rich restaurant style texture. For any countryside dishes, I prefer adding onions and tomatoes in its chopped form but when it comes to restaurant styled curries pureed tomatoes should be preferred. This maintains the creamy texture of the curry.
Serve it hot with Parathas, Naan, or some Jeera rice. Don’t even wait for any special occasion or a guest to join for lunch. Pamper your family with this mildly spicy, zesty but full of flavors Chicken Curry. You could click on the video and watch the detailed step-by-step recipe. Share your feedback about the recipe in comment section below.
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3-4
- Chicken ......500g
- Onion (finely chopped) .....100g
- Tomato (Pureed) .........100g
- Ginger Garlic paste ......2 tbsp
- Palak/Spinach .....1 bunch
- Sarso ka Saag .........1/4th bunch
- Green Chilies .......4
- Coriander Powder ....... 1.5 tbsp
- Red Chili Powder ....... 1 tbsp
- Cumin Powder ....... ¼th tsp
- Garam Masala Powder ....... 1-tsp
- Bay leaf ....... 2
- Salt to taste
- Cooking Oil.
- Blanch Palak and Sarso together. Make a Puree of blanched Palak, Sarso and 4 Green Chilies.
- Heat 3-4 tbsp Cooking Oil in a Pan. Add 2 Bay leaf. Add chopped Onions and fry until it becomes brown in color (approx 10 mins on Medium-High heat)
- Add Ginger Garlic paste and mix well (approx 2-3 mins on low heat)
- Add tomato puree and mix well. Cover and cook for 5-7 mins.
- Add dry spice powders- coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder. When masala gets dry due to pan heat- add some water and cook (Bhunao) -approx 5-7 mins on low heat
- Add Chicken pieces and mix well. Cover and Cook on low heat.
- Uncover after 5 mins, and add some water. Mix well. Cover and Cook on low heat (approx 15 mins on low heat)
- Add Puree and mix well. Add about 1 cup of water and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat (approx 25 mins on low heat)
- Add Salt to taste . We have cooked chicken for total 45 mins. Ensure consistency is not too thin.
- Enjoy with Chapati/Roti or Jeera Rice
Click to watch recipe video
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