Nisha Katona's chicken saag
Put down that takeaway menu! Nisha’s back in the kitchen with another Indian staple: she’s showing us her best recipe for chicken saag - full of flavour and packed with spinachy-goodness, this 30 minute powerhouse curry will be a family favourite in no time.
Chicken Saag
Serves: 4
Ingredients
120ml vegetable oil 2 onions, roughly chopped 6 garlic cloves, crushed 2 thumb-sized pieces fresh root ginger, peeled and grated 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves 1 tsp ground turmeric ¼ tsp chilli powder 1 tbsp ground cumin 2 tbsp ground coriander 200g canned chopped tomatoes1 tbsp tomato puree 400g canned leaf spinach OR 5 cubes frozen spinach, defrosted15g coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve 1½ tsp salt, or to taste Bag of fresh spinach 2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (approx. 600g), chopped into 2cm cubes 1 tsp sugar, or to taste Cooked rice, to serve
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring continuously, for 6 minutes, until soft and translucent, then add the garlic, ginger and fenugreek leaves and cook for a further 2 minutes, until the onions have started to turn golden brown.
2. Add the spices to the pan and stir to coat the onions, then stir in the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree.
3. Stir in the canned spinach, then pour in 300ml boiling water and stir again to loosen. Add the chopped coriander, season with salt to taste, and remove from the pan.
4. Use a stick/immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth.
5. Return the pan to the heat and add the fresh spinach and chopped chicken breasts, stirring to coat the chicken in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and leave to cook for 12-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the sugar to taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.
6. Serve the curry hot with rice and an extra scattering of fresh coriander.