Can I use chicken breast?

Yes! I like chicken thighs best here because they're a juicier cut, but chicken breast or tenders will be perfectly fine.

What is saag sauce made of?

It's made up of loads of leafy greens, like spinach, kale, cavalo nero or Swiss chard, sautéed onion, garlic, ginger and spices like cumin, coriander and garam masala. It's a lovely mild sauce that's very nutrient-dense, but still absolutely delicious.

Can I make this ahead of time?

This saag - like most curries - will develop even MORE flavor over time. It's perfect for making in advance. The only thing to keep in mind is that the colour of the sauce will dull a little the longer you keep it, so it won't be quite as bright and vibrant as it was when you made it. It will keep well for five days, stored in the fridge in an airtight container. If you find the sauce thickens up a little too much for your liking after chilling, just add a tablespoon of water as you heat it either in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Can I freeze the curry?

It freezes really well - I've made this for my family to stock their freezers with and it defrosts really easily in the microwave, or you can let it defrost in the fridge overnight.

Easy Chicken Saag Curry (Saagwala)

Name: Easy Chicken Saag Curry (Saagwala)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: indian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1lb/500g chicken thighs, skinless, boneless and free-range; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 onion, diced; 1 tablespoon crushed ginger; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and grated or crushed; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon garam masala; 1 teaspoon chilli flakes; 1lb/500g baby spinach leaves (or use cavalo nero, silverbeet or kale); 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice (like basmati); 2 1/4 cups water; 4 pieces garlic naan (try my easy 2-ingredient dough garlic naan)

Description

This vibrant, fragrant chicken saag curry takes less than 30 minutes to make with no need to marinate chicken in advance, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights. A smooth, super green sauce loaded with garlic, ginger and spices plus juicy chicken thighs? A perfect bowl of comfort that’s good for you too.

You’ll need a blender or food processor for this recipe.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the saag curry -

2 tablespoons olive oil
1lb/500g chicken thighs, skinless, boneless and free-range
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon crushed ginger
4 garlic cloves, peeled and grated or crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1lb/500g baby spinach leaves (or use cavalo nero, silverbeet or kale)
2 teaspoons lemon juice

To serve (optional) -

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice (like basmati)
2 1/4 cups water
4 pieces garlic naan (try my easy 2-ingredient dough garlic naan)

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Instructions

Make the rice (optional, to serve). Add 1 ½ cups of rice to a small pot and pour in 2 ¼ cups of cold water. Set the pot over medium heat. Once the top of the water looks a little foamy and starts to bubble, turn the heat to low and put the lid on your pot. If your pot doesn’t have a lid, use a wooden board or a plate. Leave it there with the lid on, undisturbed, for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, turn the heat off and remove the pan from the stovetop. Let it sit for another 10 minutes, then fluff up the rice with a fork and get ready to serve. PRO TIP: You can make the rice and the saag at the same time, cutting the cooking time right down.
Cook the chicken. Chop your chicken thighs into bite-sized chunks, then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large frying pan or skillet over high heat and add the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Let cook in the pan for 5 minutes undisturbed to get some lovely charred bits (colour = flavour). Turn the chicken over, then cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the chicken onto a plate, then cover lightly with foil.
Cook the onion, garlic, ginger and spices. Scrape any burnt bits out of the pan, but keep as much chicken fat in there as you can for the best flavor. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then add the diced onion, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula for about five minutes, until the onion starts to soften (it’ll change color and look more transparent). At this point, add the ginger, garlic, chilli flakes, garam masala, cumin and coriander. Cook for another minute, stirring until the garlic and ginger soften and the spices smell beautiful and fragrant. Transfer everything into a blender.
Blanch the greens. Add the spinach leaves to a large heatproof bowl. Boil your kettle and pour the boiling water over the spinach so it’s covered. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to push the leaves down into the water. Leave in there for about three minutes, until bright green. PRO TIP: You can transfer them straight from the bowl to your blender along with the spices, garlic, ginger and onion OR transfer them to a bowl full of ice water first. Putting them into ice water will ‘shock’ the leaves and preserve their vibrant green color, so if you can do this extra step, I recommend it for the best color at the end.
Blitz the saag sauce. Transfer the greens to the blender too, then blitz into a super smooth sauce, adding a little more of the blanching water if needed. Taste, and season with a little more salt and lemon juice if you think it’s missing something.
Garnish and serve. Pour the sauce back into the pan you cooked the chicken and spices in, then add the chicken back in with the sauce. Turn the heat to low, then stir the chicken through the sauce so it’s completely coated. Serve with steamed rice and garlic naan for the best better-than-takeout experience.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS: You can really use any leafy green here – I often use silverbeet (Swiss chard), cavalo nero or kale. If you use these tougher leaves, you’ll need to blanch them for longer than baby spinach (about 5 minutes). Leave out the garam masala if you can’t find it, and you can reduce or increase the amount of chilli flakes, based on your preferences for a hot curry. Use skinless, boneless chicken breast or tenders if you like, they’ll work perfectly well.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for 4 days. The vibrant green colour will dull over time, but the flavor will still be there. You can also freeze the saag. I like doing this either in zip-lock bags or in sealed glass storage containers. You can then defrost them overnight in the fridge or in the microwave on a low heat.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: The saag is wonderful served with steamed rice and garlic naan as I’ve suggested in the recipe card, and it’s great served alongside a bit of a spread for a takeaway night. Try serving it with my easy New Zealand-style butter chicken.

Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 20
Category: fakeaways
Method: stove top
Cuisine: indian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 250g
Calories: 261
Sugar: 1.6g
Sodium: 530.4mg
Fat: 12.9g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Unsaturated Fat: 9.2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 8.4g
Fiber: 3.4g
Protein: 28.8g
Cholesterol: 117.5mg