Palak Chicken (Indian Spinach Chicken Curry)

Palak Chicken is an Indian Spinach chicken curry dish that is made using fresh spinach puree with different spices & herbs. This recipe is more delicious and healthier than your typical tomato-based recipe which is best served with rice or roti.

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• Recipe Ingredients
• Step by Step Instruction
• Variation and Substitution
• Side Dishes to Serve
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Indian Food Recipes
• 📋 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments

Spinach is one of my favorite green-based vegetables since it is not only delicious but it is nutritious too. I use spinach when making a pastry meat pie, stew, curries, or fatayer. There are many things you can do when making spinach dishes, but one thing that caught my attention is the Indian spinach curry.

I have tried many delicious Indian food cuisines, and I noticed most of them are tomato-based dishes. However, during my food adventure, I had the chance to try the Indian spinach curry called Palak Chicken. What I like about this dish is that it doesn’t use much oil in comparison with other typical tomato curries.

My food experience has inspired me to make my version of Palak Chicken Curry which I promise you are delicious and easy to make. What I do here is I cook the dry spices and herbs in the vegetable oil before adding the chicken drumstick, which then I simmered in water and spinach puree before serving it with rice or roti.

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the ingredients to make this delicious Palak Chicken Curry:

Chicken: I am using Drumstick for this recipe. But if you prefer to cook it faster, you can use boneless chicken breast since you don’t need to simmer the chicken for alonger time.

Spices: The main spices you need are bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, turmeric, cumin, and garam masala. These are very important condiments when cooking any Indian curry dish.

Red Onion- You can use either white or red onion but I prefer the latter since it has a stronger aroma.

Ginger Garlic- These are fresh garlic and ginger when I made them into a paste by using a grater. I will rather use the fresh herbs over a powder since it gives better flavor to my Palak Chicken Curry

Spinach- I am using fresh spinach leaves which I remove from the stem and boiled it in the water.

Other Ingredients: The rest you will need tomatoes, salt and black pepper

Step by Step Instruction

To make Palak Chicken Curry, there are two things to do: Boil and Puree the Spinach and Make the Chicken Curry.

I. Making the Spinach Puree

• Firstly, I cut and separate the spinach leaves from the stem which after that I transferred into the cooking pot with water on it.
• Let the spinach boil or simmer till it becomes soft and cook.

• Here, I remove the spinach from the pot and transferred it into the cold water so that it will cool down.
• Transfer the spinach into the blender and then poured 1 to 2 cups of the boiled spinach water so that it will be easy to puree the spinach in the blender.
• Once it turns into a puree, set it aside in a large plate bowl.

Notes: Make sure you let it cool down the spinach water before pouring it into the blender.

II. Making the Chicken Curry

• I poured a few tablespoons of vegetable oil into the pot and once it becomes hot, I added the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Stir for less than a minute
• Next, I added the chopped red onion and ginger-garlic paste which I then stir for a few minutes or till it becomes translucent.
• After that, I added the chopped tomatoes and poured water so it will turn into a paste, and then I added the chicken drumstick.

• Add the cumin and turmeric and stir for a few minutes.
• Next, I poured the water into the pot to let the chicken simmer for 20 minutes. While it is boiling, add garam masala to the chicken and give it a quick stir.
• Next, I poured the spinach puree and give it a quick stir. Let it simmer again for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Don’t forget to add salt and black pepper for taste.
• Once done, I serve this delicious Indian spinach chicken curry with rice or roti.

Variation and Substitution

• You can use boneless chicken breast if you don't like to simmer and wait for 30 minutes. That way, it is easier and faster to cook the chicken.
• You can use other protein meat like lamb, beef, shrimp, or fish.
• If you prefer a vegetarian dish, you can use tofu or paneer (Indian cottage cheese) as a source of protein).
• For Garlic Ginger paste, you can use the ready-made paste that is sold from the grocery store, or you can use fresh garlic and ginger.

Side Dishes to Serve

You can serve this delicious Palak Chicken Curry with any rice and any flatbread dishes like roti or chapati.

Of course, I also like to serve it with any salad dishes and with my crispy vegetable samosas or cheese samosas

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long can the Indian Spinach Chicken Curry last in the fridge?

They can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

2. Can I make my Palak Chicken spicy?

If you want to make this Indian Spinach chicken curry dish, add 1 teaspoon of red kashmiri chili powder

Related Indian Food Recipes

If you love Indian food, here are other delicious recipes that you can cook at home:

• Eggplant Masala (Brinjal Masala)
  
• Prawn Masala Curry
  
• Cauliflower Potato Pea Curry (Aloo Gobi Matar)

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