Saag Chicken

Saag Chicken

This dish was inspired by a post in Facebook that recommended that the chicken be cooked in the usual way and then simmered with spinach that is blanched and blended with tomatoes and green chilies. It worked out really well with minimal effort.

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless & skinless chicken thighs, cut in bite-sized pieces

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

salt to taste

1/2 tsp. Kashmiri mirch

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1 lime, juiced

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cinnamon sticks

1 star anise

2 black cardamom

1 large onion, blanched and blended to a paste

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

1 Tbsp. garlic paste

1 tsp. Bengali garam masala (powdered cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves)

1/2 stick butter

1 lb. baby spinach

1 cup chicken broth, simmering

1 large tomato, diced

2 green chilies, de-seeded (if desired) & diced

1 cup birista (deep-fried onions)

Directions:

1. Blanch baby spinach by placing in mixing bowl, pour simmering chicken broth over spinach, cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Drain spinach, reserving blanching liquid.
3. Marinate chicken in next 5 ingredients for 20 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and temper with cinnamon, star anise and cardamom.
5. Stir-fry chicken until golden brown and add garam masala along with onion, ginger and garlic pastes.
6. When oil resurfaces, add reserved blanching liquid.
7. Stir well to coat chicken with masala and pressure cook for 15 minutes.
8. Remove pressure cooker from heat and allow pressure to release naturally.
9. Blanch baby spinach by placing in mixing bowl, pour simmering chicken broth over spinach, cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
10. Blend blanched and drained spinach with tomatoes and green chilies and add to pressure-cooked chicken.
11. Add butter to spinach and chicken, add birista and simmer until liquid evaporates.

Garnish with birista and serve with hot rice or chapatis.