Description
A flavorful and nutritious Chicken Saag recipe featuring tender chicken breast pieces cooked with aromatic spices and fresh spinach, served alongside fragrant brown basmati rice. This wholesome one-pot meal combines classic Indian spices with healthy ingredients, perfect for a cozy dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Saag
- 2 tsp rapeseed oil
- 1 onion (200g), finely chopped
- 10g ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 skinless chicken breast fillets (300g), trimmed of any fat and cut into pieces
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 160g baby spinach, chopped
- 3 tbsp bio yogurt
For the Brown Basmati Rice
- 120g brown basmati rice
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 3 cardamom pods, crushed and seeds removed
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Rice: Put the brown basmati rice, ground turmeric, and cardamom seeds into a pan with a pinch of salt. Add enough water to generously cover the rice. Place a lid on the pan and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Turn off the heat and set the rice aside to rest.
- Sauté Aromatics: While the rice cooks, heat the rapeseed oil in a large pan over low to medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, ginger, and garlic. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is starting to brown, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add Spices: Stir in the cumin seeds, ground coriander, garam masala, and ground turmeric into the softened onion mixture. Cook briefly while stirring until the spices become fragrant and lightly toasted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Cook Chicken: Add the chopped chicken breast pieces to the pan and stir-fry for a few minutes until the chicken starts to change color and is coated well with the spice mixture.
- Add Tomatoes and Spinach: Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, and chopped spinach. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts and the tomatoes soften to create a rich curry base.
- Optional Freezing Step: At this point, you can remove the curry from heat. Allow it to cool completely then freeze for up to three months. When ready to eat, fully defrost and reheat before proceeding.
- Finish with Yogurt: Stir the bio yogurt into the curry gently and heat through for 1 more minute to combine flavors without curdling the yogurt.
- Drain and Serve: Drain the rice if needed. Serve the warm chicken saag curry alongside the fragrant brown basmati rice for a comforting and nutritious meal.
Notes
- This recipe can be frozen after cooking and cooled, making it convenient for meal prep.
- Use fresh baby spinach for best texture and flavor; frozen spinach can also be used but adjust cooking times accordingly.
- To keep the yogurt from curdling, add it at the end and heat gently without boiling.
- Substitute chicken breast with chicken thighs if preferred for a juicier texture.
- Adjust the level of garam masala and other spices to suit your taste preferences.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Chicken saag, Indian chicken curry, spinach chicken curry, easy Indian recipe, healthy chicken curry, basmati rice recipe
