Chicken Palak - an authentic Indian dish

Chicken Palak

This is an authentic Indian dish for palak (spinach) chicken.  Popeye would love this dish!  This is nutrient rich and low in fat, a delicious healthy meal.

Serves 4

Prep and Cooking time 1 hour 10 mins

Ingredients

500g boneless & skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces & seasoned with

salt and pepper

250g fresh spinach leaves

1 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter

2 bay leaves

3 cloves

8 peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2cm ginger, peeled and grated

2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tsp hot chilli powder

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

2 large tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped

½ tsp garam masala

Method

1. Place the spinach in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, add boiling water and leave for 2-3 minutes.  Drain well.  Place half of the spinach into a food processor and blend to a smooth puree.  Finely chop the remaining spinach and set aside.

2. Place a large non-stick pan or wok over a low heat, add the ghee or butter and cook until it turns to a light brown colour, do not let it burn.  Add the bay leaves, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon and cumin seeds and fry for a minute. 

3. Add the sliced onion and increase the heat to medium fry for 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally until the onion is light golden brown.  Add the garlic, ginger and green chillies to the pan and fry for 2 minutes then add the chilli powder, turmeric and coriander.  Fry for a further 30 seconds and then stir in the chopped tomatoes.  Cook for a further 8-10 minutes.

4. Add the chicken and mix well.  Cook for 5 minutes then reduces the heat and cover the pan with a lid.  Simmer gently for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender, add water if the pan is too dry.  

5. Add the pureed and chopped spinach and the garam masala to the pan and stir well.  Re-cover and cook for another 8-10 minutes.  Serve immediately with warm flatbreads or basmati rice.