I’ve always wanted to make Chicken Saag at home; it has been and remains one of my all-time favorite Indian dishes. I tend to judge every Indian restaurant by this dish — but this version gives the local joints a run for their money, and it’s lower in fat. The recipe is based on a few I found online, but with a lot less oil.

Chris says:

This was a bit time consuming, but really easy. It came out *so* good!

Lisa says:

Yeah, it really did. I love the spices.

Chris says:

Next time I’d make it a little hotter, but other than that it’s exactly the way I like it.

Lisa says:

Maybe a little less chicken?

Chris says:

Sounds good. I’ll post the recipe like I’ll prepare it next time.

Saag Chicken
————
2 lbs chicken breast, cubed
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, minced
1 (400g) can crushed tomatoes
1 inch ginger, minced
4 tbsp milk
4 bunches spinach, washed & chopped
2 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 big cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
7 tsp oil
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt

Heat 4 tsp of the oil over medium-high heat, add the chicken and stir-fry for around 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside.
Put the spinach in a pot, add 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. When cool, grind very well (almost to a paste) in blender and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add the ginger, garlic and onions, stirring until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, salt, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, turmeric, cloves and cardamom. Add a tablespoon of water and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
Add chicken and milk to the pan. Simmer until the chicken is tender (about 10 minutes).
Add spinach and garam masala to the pan. Cook until spinach starts sticking to the pan (about 15 minutes).
Remove from heat, add butter and cover until ready to serve with rice.

4 Servings