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Palak Chicken recipe famous as saag wala chicken is a one-pot, easy, and complete meal recipe for Indian and Pakistani dinner. The irresistible taste of spicy chicken masala cooked with ribbon-cut spinach makes a perfect taste to serve with naan or rice. Healthy and fully nutrient Chicken Palak can easily be prepared on the stovetop, Instant pot, and pressure cooker so you can adapt the cooking method as per your convenience.
Family favorite one pan Palak Chicken Recipe famous as Spinach Chicken Curry in South Asia (India and Pakistan). Best to serve as the main course in dinner or lunch. Watch step by step video to get quick direction.
Jump to:
- About Palak Chicken
- Health Benefits
- Difference Between Saag and Palak
- How to Wash Spinach?
- How to Cut Spinach?
- Expert Tips
- Ingredients
- How to Make Palak Chicken
- Serving Ideas
- How To Store
- How to Freeze
- Palak Chicken Video
- You Might Like This
- Palak Chicken Recipe
About Palak Chicken
The combination of chicken with spinach is awesome, especially in gravy form. Totally an Indian-style 'palak chicken' recipe for foodies to try at home. Palak chicken is one of the wedding dish in Pakistan. If you want to make something with veg and nonveg then try this recipe and I am sure you will love it.
Spinach and chicken both are fully packed with healthy vitamins and minerals so it's a great idea to incorporate this dish into your meal once a week. It will give you more flavor than a regular chicken curry.
Health Benefits
Spinach contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K along with folate so it's great to have spinach in your meal. You can also try this recipe with lamb as well. Chicken is full of protein so the combination is healthy and nutritious to have.
Difference Between Saag and Palak
When I was a kid, it was difficult for me to differentiate between saag and spinach. When my mother cooks saag, I feel like spinach so my mother helped me to understand the difference. All the vegetables with green leaves are saag and spinach is also one of them that comes into saag category. So you can call this recipe Palak Saag with Chicken.
SEE ALSO: Chicken Nihari Recipe | Mughlai Chicken | Aloo Chicken Shorba | Dahi Chicken | Chicken Cutlet Recipe
How to Wash Spinach?
It's important to carefully wash the palak to remove all the dirt. Whenever I need to cook palak. I monitor the spinach bunch before cutting to remove all the dirty parts. Then in a colander, wash it with tap water (cold). Use the hands to gently shuffle leaves to remove dirt or grime. Wash 2 to 3 times. Keep it in a colander to remove water.
How to Cut Spinach?
It's simple and easy to cut all the leaves by keeping them together in a bunch. You can watch in the video; Timespan: (02:16 - 02:34).
First, make a bunch and cut it in form of ribbons using a sharp knife on the cutting board. Then toss it to add in chicken curry.
Expert Tips
- Spinach normally contain dirts in leaves so it's important to wash the leaves properly to remove all the grime. If you still feel the spinach is not clean or showing some dirt in water then blanch before use.
- Before adding spinach in curry make sure to remove all the water from spinach.
- Use homemade garam masala.
- Properly cook the spinach in curry on high heat to relinquish the spinach rawness.
- Avoid to cook spinach for too long as it will lose the nutrients.
- Brown onion will add a quality taste in curry. Don't replce with sauteed onion.
Ingredients
Chicken with bones: Used chicken with bones to make this curry as it will make the fresh stock to cook the chicken and add a perfect meaty gravy taste in spinach.
Spinach: Cut the spinach in ribbons and add in curry so it can easily blend to form a perfect curry texture.
Spices: Used red chili, coriander, and turmeric powder with the addition of salt.
Garam Masala: Used ground and whole garam masala to make this curry. (Note the quantity of garam masala in the recipe card).
Yogurt: Marinate the chicken in yogurt to add a creamy and sour taste to chicken curry.
Brown Onion: Added crispy brown crushed onion in curry. It will help to make consistent masala in curry and also add a nutty onion taste.
Ginger Garlic: Used freshly ground ginger garlic paste.
Oil: To make this curry, I prefer to use any vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil. Extra virgin olive oil can be used but it will change the flavor of curry.
Julianne Ginger: Used for garnish!
How to Make Palak Chicken
Marination of Chicken: Cut and clean the chicken with bones and rinse it properly before use and drain all water. Now in a mixing bowl, add a cup of yogurt with ground garam masala, cumin powder, and salt. Mix all the ingredients and marinate for an hour.
Preparation of Curry: In a heating pan, add oil and whole garam masala (black pepper, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, green cardamom) and let it pop for a few seconds until it becomes aromatic. Now add ginger and garlic paste and saute until it starts to change color. Season with red chili powder, turmeric, and coriander powder. Stir it continuously to cook the spice rawness. Now add marinated chicken and cook on high heat. As the chicken starts to changes color add hand-crushed crispy brown onion. Mix it well and add water. Stir the curry and cover the pan with lid for about 20 minutes to tender the chicken.
Spinach Cutting: Properly wash the spinach and release water. Now cut the spinach in thin ribbons. Shake it with hand to detach the ribbons.
Assembling Palak in Chicken: After 20 minutes, add the spinach in curry and mix it well on high heat for 2 minutes. Now cover the pan on low heat (steam) for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Palak chicken is ready to serve. Garnish with Julianne ginger!
Enjoy and have a lovely eating time!
Palak chicken can be served for lunch or dinner with roti, chappati, or tandoori naan. You can also serve with steam or cumin rice. It's the best dawat recipe. Here, I made a total shadiyon wala chicken palak. As you will make it, you will love the flavor. Try it in your kitchen and share it with your friends and family!
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It's a simple and easy recipe of "palak chicken" that you can quickly make at home and serve your family and friends. You can join our Facebook group of foodies to interact with other foodies!!At Hinz cooking, you can find more recipes related to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and teatime. Explore recipe collection to get your desired recipes.
Serving Ideas
If you are serving as the main course then serve with bread and rice. I personally make it for dinner so always make roti, naan or paratha. Garlic yogurt sauce and onion salsa are additional to add to the platter. Actually, it pairs up well, when steamed rice or tadka rice goes with it.
How To Store
Yes, you can store the palak chicken in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. I prefer to store my food in an airtight glass container as it's safe and healthy. Make sure to cool it down before storing it. Don't store it for long period!
It's important to reheat the palak chicken on high heat before use or taking it out from the container. You can also microwave for a few minutes.
How to Freeze
Many people want to freeze the palak chicken for later use. Yes, you can 100% freeze the chicken palak like any other curry for a month. Don't freeze for a longer period as it's homemade and didn't contain any food preservatives. I personally pack it in an airtight container and simply freeze it. If you are freezing in bulk then make sure to make small packets as per your convenience. It will help to take out easily from the freezer.
Palak Chicken Video
Q & A
How many calories are in chicken Palak?
It depends on the way of making it and the size and weight of the chicken. In this recipe, I took 500 g of chicken and 2 cups of fresh spinach. In terms of calories after cooking, it's around 314 Kcal.
Is palak chicken rich in protein?
Well, chicken is a good source of protein. 100 g chicken contains 27g protein. Spinach (palak) is a great source of plant-based protein and in 100gms, 2.9g will be considered as protein.
Is palak chicken good for weight loss?
Yes, it's low-carb and full of vitamins and minerals. Good source of folate and protein. Also, having low calories. Skip the oil option with olive or canola oil.
Why is it called saagwala chicken?
Spinach is one of the best forms of saag as it's a leafy green vegetable.
You Might Like This
- North Indian Lamb Curry Recipe
- Aloo Gosht Recipe (Pakistani Lamb/Mutton Curry With Potatoes)
- Keema Curry Recipe (Kheema Masala)
- Chickpea Curry without Coconut Milk (Chana Makhani)
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4.84 from 6 votes
Palak Chicken Recipe
Palak Chicken recipe famous as saag wala chicken is the one-pot, easy and complete meal recipe for Indian and Pakistani dinner. The irresistible taste of spicy chicken masala cooked with ribbon-cut spinach makes a perfect taste to serve with naan or rice. Healthy and fully nutrient Chicken Palak can easily be prepared on the stovetop, Instant pot, and pressure cooker so you can adapt the cooking method as per your convenience.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Keyword chicken with palak, palak chicken, palak chicken curry, palak chicken recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes minutes
Servings 3 Persons
Calories 314kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Yogurt (Dahi)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt – 1 Tsp
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 500 g Chicken (with bones)
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- Whole Garam Masala:
- Black Pepper: 10-20
- Cumin Seeds: ½ Tsp
- Cinnamon Sticks: 3″
- Green Cardamom: 7-8
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic (Grated)
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 tablespoon Brown Onion (Crushed)
- 300 ml Water
- 2 cups Spinach
- Julienne Ginger for Garnish
Instructions
Marinated The Chicken
In a bowl, add yogurt, garam masala powder, cumin powder and salt.
Mix well to make a smooth paste.
Now marinate chicken for 1 hour or more.
Chicken Curry Preparation
After an hour, add oil in a pan and heat it up.
Add whole garam masala (black pepper, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, green cardamoin heated oil.
As the garam masala starts popping up then add ginger garlic paste.
Saute for few seconds on medium heat.
Now add red chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder.
Saute for few more minutes.
Add marinated chicken and cook on high heat.
Stir chicken until it changes color.
Now add crushed brown onion and mix well.
Add water, stir the pan and cook chicken for 20 minutes.
Spinach Cutting
In the meanwhile, wash the spinach properly to remove all dirt.
Cut the spinach in form of ribbons.
Assembling
Add spinach in chicken curry and cook on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Spinach will release water so it's recommended to cook it to mix well with chicken curry.
Cover the lid and cook for another 20 minutes on low medium heat.
After 20 mins, check the chicken, Stir and cook on high heat until the oil flots on the surface.
Now the palak chicken is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Green leafy spinach is fresh. If you feel the spinach color is getting dark then don't use it. It will harm the taste of curry.
- Wisely was palak before cutting to remove all the grime and dirt.
- If you want to blanch before cooking then go for it as it's a healthy way to cook leafy vegetables.
- Make sure to cut the thin ribbons while cutting. Thick pieces will show in curry that will affect the presentation.
- To make palak chicken, first, make chicken curry then add spinach (palak).
- To intact, the nutrients of spinach, don't cook for so long.
Nutrition
Calories: 314kcal
