Dhaba Wala Saag Chicken (Chicken in Spinach Curry Rustic Indian Style)

Do you have a recipe which you love to eat in restaurants but when you try to recreate that at home, something doesn’t add up? Something seems to be missing from that recipe and you end up trying it again and again but to no gain (hey! That rhymes!) anyway, this recipe used to be one of those and believe me I have tried this recipe with different spices, meat cuts and cooking methods only to discover that to bring that amazing rustic touch in it all I had to do was to take a carefree approach.

As you know I have lived seven years in Delhi and I love the Punjabi food. Butter Chicken, Chole Bhature and heavy lassis are my favorite along with this special dish which is called Saag Chicken or Palak wala Chicken. Prepared in a thick creamy heavy gravy of butter, cream, spinach and spices this gravy goes great with Tandoori Rotis. After getting married and moving to the U.S. I soon discovered that the best way to enjoy all your delicious foods was to cook them yourself (it’s not only economical but also convenient) and so I started on this journey of hits and misses where I have recreated some dishes even better than the original recipe (like Butter Chicken) and missed on some dishes like this one (not anymore!) and believe me every time I would prepare this dish Debarshi used to say, ‘I don’t know, I just don’t like it’, thus starting my research all over again. Well he has always been very good not to waste any homemade food but I never got the satisfaction that I was serving him the dish which I used to enjoy so much and then I understood where I was going wrong.

A few weeks back we went to visit St. Louis with some friends and we went to a local rustic looking Indian restaurant. They had homemade Rotis and Dal along with a few vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes and we decided to order Saag Chicken. Well, I was interested to see what exactly I was doing wrong. As soon as Debarshi had his first bite he nodded and said, ‘This is the perfect example of how Saag Chicken should taste like.’ and I immediately knew what I was doing wrong. You see, most of the recipes would recommend you to puree the ingredients and that’s what creates a major difference in taste. It just changes the whole flavor profile of the dish. The rustic version of Saag Chicken has fried chicken pieces coated in a thick gravy of spinach and vegetables. When you puree the vegetables, it kind of becomes a soup with the chicken pieces dipped in it. I guess both Debarshi and I like the rustic version more as served by the street vendors of Delhi. I believe they prepare good food in a simple way and serve it with loads of cream and butter which enhances the flavors even more. So, I decided to prepare the dish in the way they do, with simplicity and efficiency.

Simplicity for me means no blanching the spinach or pureeing of vegetables. I just fry everything on high heat and then chop them down. Then I boil the gravy with the fried Chicken pieces, cream and spices and my Saag Chicken is ready with that same yummy rustic authentic taste that I like. Remember simple recipe means less time in the kitchen and more time with your loved ones which is after all we all want. So this weekend, try this dish and post in the comments your experience.

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

• Chicken – 1½ pounds, skinless, add whatever pieces you like (Breast or Leg), boneless or with ribs, cut into medium sized pieces
• Spinach - 1 large bunch, thoroughly washed, ends cut (do not throw the stem part) 
• Butter – 3 tablespoons (for frying the Chicken) + 2 tablespoons (for making the gravy) + 1 tablespoon (for final touch)
• Salt - ½ teaspoon (or to taste) + ¼ teaspoon for seasoning the Chicken
• Turmeric Powder -  ½ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon for seasoning the Chicken
• Red Chili Powder -  ½ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon for seasoning the Chicken
• Coriander Powder -  ½ teaspoon 
• Onion – 1 medium
• Garlic – 3-4 big cloves, peeled 
• Ginger - 1 inch, peeled
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Cloves – 3-4 
• Green Cardamoms – 4 
• Bay leaf - 1
• Black Cardamom – 1-2 pods
• Cinnamon – ½ of a thin stick
• Cumin seeds – ¼ teaspoon
• Whole Peppercorns - 5
• Garam Masala Powder – ½ teaspoon 
• Yogurt - 2-3 tablespoons or Cream Cheese – 2 ounces (at room temperature)
• Milk – ¼ cup (if required, for gravy)
• Heavy Cream -  ½ cup 

Let’s do some preparations:

• Season the Chicken with ¼ teaspoon each of Salt, Turmeric and Red Chili Powder.
• Heat a wok over high heat.
• Add the Butter in it (3 tablespoons).
• When it starts melting, add the Chicken pieces in a single layer.
• Fry till they are golden red in color (get a nice sear) then transfer to a bowl.
• Now let’s cut the vegetables (Onion, Spinach, Garlic, Ginger and Tomato). Cut them up in big pieces.

Directions to make the gravy:

• Heat the wok again over high heat (you may want to wash it with water first).
• Add 2 tablespoons of Butter in it.
• As soon as the butter starts melting add the Onion.
• Stir for a few seconds then add the Garlic, followed by the Ginger. Mix well.
• When the Onion starts turning golden, add the Tomato. Mix well.
• The Tomato will soon start melting down, add the Spinach. You will see that the Spinach will immediately start wilting.
• Turn off the heat and allow it 10-15 minutes to cool down.
• Take the chopper and transfer all the vegetables in it. Run a few whirls so that everything gets chopped down. 
• Transfer the mixture back to the wok and heat it over medium heat.
• Add all the whole spices (Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Cloves, Cinnamon, Cumin seeds, Whole Peppercorns and Bay leaf) in it. Stir to mix. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Turn down the heat to low and add the remaining spices in it (Coriander Powder, Red Chili Powder, Salt and Turmeric Powder). Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the Yogurt (or Cream Cheese), Heavy Cream and Garam Masala in it along with the fried Chicken pieces and cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.
• Check the consistency, I usually add a little Milk at this stage (for the gravy). 
• Saag Chicken is ready, now it’s time to add the final touch: the last one tablespoon of butter! 
• Serve the gravy hot with Naan, Tandoori Roti/ Plain Roti, Rice or Pulao and enjoy!

Tip: If you are adding Cream Cheese make sure to break it into little pieces so that it mixes uniformly. You can also add it in the chopper along with the vegetables so that it mixes evenly with them.

Recommended Reading:

• Paneer Alu Pulao (Rice with Fresh Cheese and Potato)
• Tandoori Roti
• Garam Masala
• Food Chopper and its Importance in Our Kitchen
• Palak ke Pakore (Gram flour and Spinach Fritters)
• Palak Paneer (Fresh Cheese in Spinach gravy)
• Cream of Asparagus Soup
• Easy Homemade Naan
• Make Homemade Butter from Spoiled Cream
• Alu Kulcha (Indian Flat Bread with Potato Filling)
• Debarshi’s Garlic Chicken
• Alu Palak Sabji (North Indian Dish: Stir-fried Potatoes with Spinach)
• Chicken Kosha (Bengali Style Hot Chicken Gravy)
• Pan Fried Chicken with a Cheesy Mushroom Loaded Gravy
• Spice Up Your Weeknight with Red Hot Baked Chicken

Recommended Keto (Low Carb High Fat) Recipes:

• Tandoori Chicken
• Butter Chicken (Indian Recipe: Chicken pieces in a creamy buttery gravy)
• Mughlai Kabab
• Grilled Salmon with Shrimp and Peppers
• Avocado Smoothie
• Yummy Almond Flour Bread with Ghee and Spices
• Grilled Lamb Kababs
• Avocado Strawberry Smoothie
• Chocolate Ganache - Keto Dessert
• Keto Pizza with Pepperoni, Parmesan and Basil
• Butter Paneer (Indian Recipe: Fresh Cheese in a creamy buttery gravy)
• Keto Garlic Naan
• Low Carb Ajwain Paratha with Coconut Flour