This Chicken Saag is a classic Indian curry that is easy to make at home. It is a flavor-packed curry with chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, frozen spinach, and aromatic spices. You can find everything you need for this Chicken Saag at the grocery store. And using frozen spinach makes it even more convenient. There is no cream or dairy in this curry, yet it has a beautiful rich flavor thanks to the onions. They are the secret weapon for giving you a profoundly flavored curry.
In a large pan, heat the oil until shimmering.2 tablespoons oil
Add the onions and cook over medium heat until soft and golden in color. (About 10 minutes)
Transfer the onions and oil to a blender, add the broth, ground cumin, ground coriander, and puree until smooth.½ cup/ 240ml broth½ teaspoon ground cumin½ teaspoon ground coriander
To make the curry
Combine the spice mix ingredients in a small bowl and set to one side.2 teaspoons ground coriander1½ teaspoon ground fenugreek1½ teaspoon garam masala1 teaspoon ground cumin½ teaspoon sweet paprika½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon turmeric¾ teaspoon/ ¼teaspoon ground cardamon¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Peel and grate the ginger and garlic.1 inch/ 2.5cm piece of ginger2 cloves garlic
Heat the oil in a large pan (you can use the same pan you cooked the onions in, no need to wash it)2 tablespoons/ 3tablespoons oil
Add the ginger and garlic and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.
Add the combined spices, tomato paste, and water. Then stir to combine.1 tablespoon tomato paste/tomato puree2 tablespoons water
Add in the onion base and cook over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes until thick and darkened in color.
While the base is cooking, chop the chicken into bitesize chunks.1 lb/ 450g chicken thighs
Add the chicken and cook for 10-15 minutes until just cooked.
Add the defrosted spinach (no need to drain) and stir to combine with the sauce.1 cup/ 150g frozen chopped spinach
Serve immediately.
Notes
If you can't find ground fenugreek, you can replace it with ½ teaspoon of mustard powder or yellow mustard seeds.
The cayenne adds heat; as written, this is medium-mild curry; you can increase the cayenne to make it spicier.
If you want to use fresh spinach, use ½lb, remove any tough stems and finely chop. You will need to give it 3-4 minutes extra cooking time to allow it to wilt down fully.