Everyday Kitchen

Indian · Dinner

Chicken saag

Draft recipe — not kitchen-tested
Non-vegEasy

Diet: Non-veg · Gluten-free · High-protein

Fold cooked chicken into a spinach sauce with ginger, garlic and cumin. Briefly blanch the spinach before blending.

Prep
20 min
Cook
30 min
Total
50 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Indian
Course
Dinner

Estimated times for the original batch. Preparation, cooking and listed waiting time are included. Batch cooking can take longer.

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Ingredients

Metric weights use grams. US weights use ounces; liquids use fluid ounces. Conversions are rounded. Spoon measures use 5 ml teaspoons and 15 ml tablespoons; cups use 240 ml.

Serves 4

Choose any positive whole number of servings. Ingredients and measured amounts in steps scale together. Times, temperatures and equipment stay unchanged. For larger yields, cook separate original-size batches. Counted ingredients can become fractions; beat eggs before dividing them. Fixed correction-water checks remain fixed.

Spinach

Base

Chicken

Equipment

Saucepan; blender; sieve; wide pan with lid; thermometer.

Check all product labels and cross-contact. Diet groups describe this listed draft, not every substitution.

Steps

Blanch · About 5 min

  1. Bring 1500 ml water for blanching to a boil. Add 500 g spinach leaves; blanch for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water and blend with a few spoonfuls of cold water.

Cook the base · About 12 min

  1. Heat 25 ml neutral oil. Cook 150 g onion, chopped for 6 minutes. Add 20 g ginger-garlic paste; stir for 1 minute. Add 200 g tomatoes, chopped, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander and ¾ tsp salt; cook for 5 minutes.

Cook the chicken · About 20 min

  1. Add 650 g chicken thighs, diced and 120 ml water. Cover; simmer for 18–20 minutes. Do not wash raw chicken.

    Check: Check the thickest pieces reach 74°C / 165°F.

Finish the spinach sauce · About 5 min

  1. Stir in the spinach puree, 1 tsp garam masala and 60 ml cream. Simmer gently for 4–5 minutes.

    Check: The sauce coats the chicken and remains green.

Tips

  • Do not boil spinach for a long time after blending.
  • Wash spinach well to remove grit.

Substitutions

  • Use thawed frozen spinach, squeezed before blending.
  • Use coconut milk instead of cream.

Storage

  • Refrigerate perishable food within two hours, or within one hour in heat above 32°C / 90°F. Store covered at 4°C / 40°F or below. Use within two days for this draft.
  • Reheat cooked dishes to 74°C / 165°F, stirring or turning for even heating. Serve cold salads, dips and chilled desserts directly from safe refrigeration.
  • For sauces and soups, add a little water if thick and reheat gently. Crisp coatings soften after storage.

Make ahead

  • Blend spinach one day ahead; refrigerate it.
  • Cook the onion-tomato base ahead and chill it.

FAQ

Can I use mustard greens?

They need longer cooking and taste sharper. This timing is for spinach.

Why is the spinach brown?

Long cooking reduces its bright colour. Add it near the end.

Can I leave out the cream?

Yes. Add a little water if the puree is too thick.

Food safety references

FoodSafety.gov: cooking temperatures · Food Standards Agency: rice storage and reheating

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