Chicken with spinach / Palak Chicken

Chicken cooked with spinach in a onion and tomato sauce. Healthy, nutrition packed curry which tastes super delicious.  Easy to make and perfect for a week day meal. I served it with garlic butter naan and Jeera pilaff.

 

I also love this chicken wrapped inside roti / as a sandwich stuffing / pita bread stuffing. 

 

 

Ingredients

• 500 Grams Chicken leg and thigh pieces
• 2 Cups Fresh spinach ( I Used palak ) chopped finely
• 2 Tablespoon salted butter / ghee
• 1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 1 green cardamom
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 1 Large red onion chopped finely
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped ginger
• 3 Garlic cloves crushed and then chopped finely
• 2 Large tomatoes pureed or 1 Cup canned tomato puree
• 1 Teaspoon red chilli powder / ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Wash chicken pieces and set aside
2. In a large pan / wok heat butter and oil. When the butter melts, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, green cardamom and whole black peppercorns. Keep the flame on medium
3. Fry the whole spices for 30 seconds
4. Then add finely chopped onions and fry until onions are soft
5. Add chopped ginger and garlic and fry until the garlic turns nice golden
6. Add tomato puree , 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until all water from the tomato puree evaporates and the mixture comes together as thick paste and it starts leaving oil
7. Add red chilli powder or freshly ground black pepper and give it a stir
8. Now add the chicken pieces, season with salt. Fry the chicken pieces on high flame for 5 minutes stirring intermittently. Fry until chicken has nice golden crust on them
9. Add 1 and 1/4 cups of water and mix everything, Simmer and cook  (for 15 to 20 minutes ) until the chicken is almost cooked through
10. Finally add chopped spinach and cook for 5 to 8 more minutes

11. Switch off the flame and serve hot with naan / roti / steamed rice