Name: Chicken Saagwala | Palak Chicken | Spinach Chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 kg chicken pieces; 10 garlic pods; 1 inch ginger; 5 green chilies; 1 cup curd; 1 tablespoon turmeric powder; 1 tablespoon kasoori methi; 1 bunch coriander leaves; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 teaspoon tandoori chicken masala; 2 bunches of fresh palak leaves / spinach; 2 medium onions; 3 large tomatoes; 10 garlic pods; 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste; 1 teaspoon kasoori methi; 1 tablespoon garam masala; 1 tablespoon coriander powder; 1 tablespoon cumin powder; 3 green chillies; 1 tablespoon Fresh Cream; To taste salt

Chicken saagwala is chicken marinated in a paste of coriander leaves, garlic, ginger, chilies, yogurt and spices and is simmered in a mildly spices spinach curry. This is served with bread. This is also called palak chicken or Indian spinach curry. After many days I cooked Chicken Saagwala recipe or Palak Chicken. Chicken is marinated in a paste of coriander leaves, garlic, ginger, green chilies, kasoori methi, lemon, yogurt and simmered in a mildly spiced spinach curry. This curry is garnished with fresh cream.

Easy chicken saagwala is also known as palak chicken or spinach chicken. This chicken curry is healthy, nutritious and is packed with protein. This is one of the best chicken recipes.

Spinach is rich in vitamins like vitamin A, C, K and minerals like iron and manganese. This leafy vegetable is available all year round and should be a part of diet.

Let us see the ingredients to make spinach chicken Indian:

For Marinating the chicken:

Chicken: Use tender chicken pieces. You can use chicken with bone or boneless.
Coriander leaves, garlic, ginger, green chilies: These ingredients are used to make a marinade and to apply to chicken.
Yogurt: Yogurt is also applied to chicken during the marination.
Spices: Turmeric powder, kasoori methi, tandoori chicken masala are also used in making the marinade for saag chicken.
Lime juice: Little lime juice is also applied to chicken.

For the gravy:

Spinach: Spinach or palak leaves is one of the main ingredients and is used in making the curry.
Onion: Use red onion in this recipe.
Tomato: Use fresh, firm ripe tomato in this recipe.
Garlic and ginger: These are the flavouring agent in most of the Indian chicken recipes. These two go hand in hand to bring out the pungent spicy flavour.
Green chilies: These are used to provide the right amount of heat in the recipe.
Spices: Kasoori methi, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder are the spices used in making the chicken curry.
Fresh Cream: This is used to garnish the saag chicken recipe.

How to make Indian style spinach chicken curry?

Make a paste of the ingredients meant for marination and apply to the chicken pieces.
Marinate for 30 minutes in freezer.
In a big pan, add water with little salt. When it starts boiling add palak leaves and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
Switch off the gas.
Let this remain in hot water for 2 minutes after gas is switched off.
Keep a large bowl of cold water ready. Strain the leaves from hot water and add them to this cold water. This retains the green colour of the leaves.
In a mixer or blender, puree the palak leaves by adding 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon chopped tomato. Keep this puree aside.
Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add chopped onions and sauté till onions turn pinkish.
Add sliced garlic and fry till garlic aroma gets filled in air.
Add ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilli and fry for 1 minute.
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix well.
Add chopped tomatoes and mix.
Now add the chicken pieces and let this get cooked with the chopped tomatoes and other masala in the kadai/wok.
After the chicken is 50% cooked, add the palak or spinach puree from the mixer.
Add kasoori methi, garam masala powder and mix well.
Add the fresh cream and mix.
Add salt to taste.

Saag chicken was a family favorite sometime back at my mom’s place. But that time I was studying and was never interested in cooking food. Only eating delicious food cooked by others and studying full-time was my motive then. I really don’t understand how this cooking became a passion now. I just love to try different types of dishes.

My hubby loved this chicken saagwala and said that it tasted better then coriander chicken which I usually prepare. Apart from being healthy, it is yummy. I made this dish for lunch and served with jeera rice. Later we had the leftovers for dinner with bread.

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5 from 5 votes