Chicken Saag (Chicken and Spinach Curry)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)s
• 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• 1.5 tsp ground coriander
• 1.5 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp ground cardamom
• 0.25 tsp Indian chili powder or cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 0.5 cup water
• 8 oz baby spinach or trimmed regular spinach, (washed and dried)
• 1 lb chicken breast or tenders, (cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 0.25 cup plain yogurt, (preferably thick Greek-style yogurt)

Method

1. 1

   Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (if you plan to double the recipe, definitely use a pot instead of a skillet so you have room for all the spinach!). Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly, and lowering heat to medium-low if it starts to brown too quickly.

2. 2

   Over medium heat, add the salt (SEE NOTES), coriander, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, and chili powder, and stir on medium-low heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds or so. Dissolve the tomato paste in the water by stirring vigorously together in a measuring cup or bowl. Then stir into the spices in the pan, creating a thick spiced sauce, about 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add the spinach and gently stir to combine, as the skillet will be very full. Cover and raise the heat to medium-high, allowing the spinach to start to wilt. Occasionally remove the lid, stir, and then cover again until most the spinach has begun to wilt, about 3 to 5 minutes (can depend on the size of your spinach leaves). Remove the lid and finish stirring the spinach until it is completely wilted but still bright green, another minute.

4. 4

   Transfer spinach mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until relatively smooth but still a bit chunky (you don’t want it to be super smooth, a bit of texture is good). Taste and adjust salt and spice if necessary.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel (or don't--leave the residue to flavor the chicken), return it to medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the cubed chicken pieces, sprinkle salt over the top to season, and cook until almost completely cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.

6. 6

   Pour the spinach mixture back over the chicken, using a rubber spatula to get every last bit out of the blender (you can also "rinse" the inside of the blender with a little water and then pour that into the skillet too), and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the chicken to finish cooking. Stir in the yogurt, and serve immediately with basmati rice and/or naan.