Palak Chicken - Chicken Spinach Curry

Authentic north indian chicken palak recipe featuring boneless chicken morsels in a luscious spiced spinach gravy. Flavorful and aromatic, this chicken spinach curry is also known as palak murgh or murgh palak. Perfect for hearty and green weeknight dinners with great tasting leftovers! 

Whenever I grab a large bag of spinach at Costco, on my mind are spinach gravy dishes like palak paneer or palak chole or this saagwala chicken. Leavy green gravies like this methi chicken or with spinach have been a huge hit with my kids ever since they were toddlers. Makes this mama super happy to feed them a perfect balance of greens and protein with such traditional indian recipes. 

You would have seen palak chicken on menus of indian restaurants. However, it is not a dish I grew up with, a lot of vegetarian spinach curries happened back then. I started making palak murgh regularly a few years back, mostly during my pregnancy years when I craved spinach all the time. 

This chicken saag recipe has evolved a lot from the first time I cooked it.

ABOUT PALAK CHICKEN 

In Hindi, "palak" means spinach, and "murgh" means chicken. Similar to many Indian dishes, the name of palak chicken derives from its key ingredients. 

Palak chicken is a popular Punjabi chicken dish renowned for its rich and aromatic flavors. The dish is incredibly fragrant, thanks to the use of freshly ground spices, and it is both healthy and nutritious due to a robust spinach sauce.

To prepare palak chicken, boneless chicken pieces are commonly used, although bone-in chicken can also be used. The chicken, coated with spices, is seared first,  to enhance the overall flavor of spinach gravy. 

Personally, I am quite passionate about incorporating freshly ground masala (spices) into my chicken curries as it imparts unparalleled flavor. I make a dry spice rub in this recipe too, however later in this palak chicken recipe post, I will be sharing two hacks that make it perfect for busy weeknights. Keep reading. 

Saag Chicken Vs Palak Chicken 

Dishes like saag paneer, saag chicken, or saag lamb are creations that originated outside India. The term "saag" refers to a blend of leafy greens. I knew only one saag growing up, which was sarson ka saag, a rustic punjabi dish that combines mustard greens and spinach.

When a dish incorporates a mix of greens rather than solely spinach, it is referred to as "saag." For example, if you prepare this gravy using a combination of two or three types of blanched and pureed leafy greens instead of just spinach, you would be making saag murgh or murgh saagwala. The remaining aspects of the recipe remain unchanged. However, the taste will naturally vary because the greens used are different.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE 

• Nourishing & High Protein - Spinach and chicken, this incredible pairing of nutrient-rich leafy greens with lean, low-calorie chicken creates a delectable and wholesome meal option.
• Excellent For Meal Prep - You could meal prep in 2 ways :-

1. Prepare the spice powder ahead of time, generously coat the chicken with the spice rub, and allow it to marinate for 2-3 days. Similarly, make the spinach puree in advance and store it in an airtight container. On the day of serving, whip up a quick spinach sauce, which takes approximately 20-25 minutes.
2. Cook the palak chicken fully and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. During reheating, if desired, enhance the dish with a touch of cream. Sprinkle some freshly chopped cilantro for added freshness, and serve. 

• Customizable - Feel free to explore beyond just spinach and incorporate a medley of various greens. Instead of pureeing, consider using chopped greens for added texture. If desired, you can even experiment with nut pastes to introduce a delightful richness.

INGREDIENTS 

• Spinach Puree- Simply blanch spinach bunch and make a coarse or smooth ( or as you like the texture) puree. I prefer using fresh spinach leaves bunch over baby spinach, however any kind of spinach works. You could use frozen spinach too (read how in the variation section).
• Boneless chicken thighs - I like using skinless bone less chicken thighs because they are very flavorful and can stand up to searing and simmering without drying out. 
• Whole Spices - We will grind most of the spices like cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, mace, green cardamom, dried red chilies. Bay leaf, black cardamom and cinnamon are used whole for tempering the oil. Skip any spices you do not have. 
• Onions - Chop the onions instead of slicing so that they cook down for the most part leaving behind a little texture in the spinach sauce.
• Tomato Puree - I simply boil some tomatoes in a bit of water and puree them. You could use store bought tomato sauce too. 
• Mustard Oil - Is my choice when it comes to cooking North Indian style chicken curries. Use avocado or grapeseed oil instead. 
• Other Ingredients - Green chilli, Ginger Garlic ( store bought ginger-garlic paste is fine to use), heavy cream, garam masala, turmeric powder, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves),cilantro. 

HOW TO MAKE INDIAN CHICKEN PALAK 

PREPERATION 

All the below steps can be done 1-3 days ahead and stored refrigerated. 

1. Make The Spice Rub- Dry roast the spices. Coarsely grind the dry spices in a coffee grinder. Sprinkle the spice rub over chicken. Also, add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Use hands to massage the chicken so that its coated. You could marinate this spice rubbed chicken for up to 3 days (refrigerated). Or let stand while you make the spinach puree, brown the onions etc. 
2. Make The Spinach Puree - Add spinach stems & leaves (remove the fibrous looking stems) to a pot of boiling water. Once the leaves are wilted and stems are soft, transfer to a blender using tongs. Process to make a spinach puree. Use as less water as possible to that the puree is not watery.
3. Other Prep - Chop the onions, blanch the tomatoes, julienne ginger, mince the garlic etc. 

Simplify for weeknights

Skip making the spice rub from scratch as mentioned in step 1 and simply add ready to use powdered spices - coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder, cardamom powder, ground cloves, kashmiri chilli powder, red chilli powder & turmeric powder along with salt.

Secondly, use chopped spinach instead of spinach puree(step2) to save time.

MAKE THE  SPINACH CHICKEN MASALA CURRY

4. In a wide pot with a heavy bottom, heat up mustard oil.
5. Temper the oil with whole spices.
6. Add the chopped onions and cook until they reach a light brown to golden brown stage. Avoid browning them too much, as it may interfere with the taste of spinach. 
7. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and fry for about 45 seconds. 
8. Now, add the chicken to the pot. Keep the flame on medium and stir to mix the chicken with the onion and garlic. Once mixed, allow the chicken to sear for 2-3 minutes. Adjust the searing time based on the size of the chicken pieces. While searing, avoid stirring too much to prevent the chicken from releasing its water instead of browning. Sear the chicken on all sides. 
9. Add the tomato puree. Since the tomato puree is already cooked, it doesn't require extensive cooking. Fry it with the chicken for approximately 2 minutes. 

Pro Tip - If you are using bone in chicken, after searing, cover the pot and let the chicken cook to about 80 % doneness before adding the spinach puree. 

BHUNAI

Add the spinach puree next. This is the moment to enhance the flavors. We will fry the chicken and spinach together, a technique known as bhunai, for the next 8-10 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Bhunai develops smokiness in the spinach gravy, resulting in an aromatic and robust taste. It's not necessary to cover the pot as the color of the spinach will fade away.

While frying, stir occasionally to ensure even cooking until the chicken is done. You'll notice that the spinach sauce will deepen in color and start glistening. Take care to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot. If needed, add a splash of water as required to maintain a saucy consistency (but avoid making it watery).

Finish the palak chicken curry with garam masala, nutmeg, crushed kasoori methi and 1-2 tablespoon of heavy cream. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. 

To Make Restaurant Style Palak Chicken 

• Add 1 tablespoon of ghee when you add spinach puree (step 9) at the end of cooking for extra richness. 
• Add ¼ to ⅓ cup heavy cream to finish the curry.
• You could also add 1 -2 tablespoon of ground cashew paste to the spinach sauce. 

VARIATIONS 

• Use Chopped Spinach - If you are on a time crunch or want extra texture in the sauce, instead of spinach puree, add chopped spinach and fry with the chicken. In this case, the color of the sauce won't be green. I personally like using handfuls of baby spinach or frozen spinach for this method. 
• Use Nut Paste (Dairy Free Version) - If you don't want to add heavy cream but still want a richness in the sauce, add a tablespoon or two of cashew or almond paste to the sauce. This will make the sauce dairy free too. 
• Use a Mix of Greens - You could use a combination of different kinds of greens (saag)- kale or spinach work great and methi (fenugreek) & spinach work beautifully too. Make sure that the total quantity of greens matches the spinach quantity mentioned in recipe card. 

RECIPE TIPS 

• Marinate the Chicken- You could skip marinating if you are in a hurry, however a few hours of marination do contribute immensely to the taste of the dish. 
• You can use bone in chicken for this recipe. Use dark meat portions and make incisions in the flesh with a sharp knife before using it.
• When you puree the spinach, do not make a smooth paste out of it. Use as less water as possible when grinding spinach.
• If you like a bit of smoky flavor then you can grill the chicken but I prefer searing it in the cooking pot itself.
• Consistency of spinach gravy- The ideal consistency of the spinach sauce is on a velvety thick side. Don't make it too runny.
• Spice Level- I personally dont add a lot of heat while making spinach sauces because then the heat overpowers the mellow taste of spinach. You could add a few chopped green chilies if you wish. 
• For Meal Prep - Read the section in the blog post above. 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Serve palak chicken with roti, paratha or naan. Add a refreshing side of kachumber and raita if you like. For a gluten free meal, serve with steamed basmati rice or oats rotis.

FAQ