Chicken Saag with Bright Blended Spinach

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Seared chicken thighs simmered in a vivid green spinach base built on ginger, garlic and toasted whole spices. Blending the greens off the heat keeps the colour electric instead of army-drab, and frozen spinach works beautifully as long as you wring it bone dry. Ready in about an hour with one skillet and a blender.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp neutral oil

• 20 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed (or 1.5 lb fresh spinach)
• 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed (seeds removed for less heat)
• 1/2 cup water

• 3 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chile powder or paprika
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup water or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup heavy cream or full-fat plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• Basmati rice or naan
• 2 tbsp heavy cream or yogurt, for drizzling
• Thinly sliced red onion and lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Toss the chicken pieces with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Let sit at room temperature while you prep everything else, at least 15 minutes.
2. Squeeze the spinach dry in earnest: working in handfuls, wring the thawed frozen spinach over the sink until no more liquid comes out — you want roughly 2 packed cups of nearly dry spinach. (If using fresh spinach, wilt it in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, cool briefly, then squeeze the same way.) Excess water is the difference between a sauce and a puddle.
3. Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer, working in two batches if needed, and sear undisturbed 3 minutes per side until deeply browned. The chicken will not be cooked through. Transfer to a plate and reserve any juices.
4. Lower the heat to medium and add the ghee to the same skillet. When it foams, add the cumin seeds and toast 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until golden at the edges.
5. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 90 seconds until raw smell is gone. Stir in the coriander, ground cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric and Kashmiri chile powder and cook 30 seconds, then add the tomato and 1 tsp salt. Cook 5-6 minutes, mashing with your spoon, until the tomato breaks down and the mixture looks like a thick paste with oil beading at the edges.
6. Scoop about half of this masala paste into a blender. Add the squeezed spinach, cilantro, serrano and 1/2 cup water. Blend 45-60 seconds to a smooth, bright green purée, scraping down as needed. Blending it now — off the heat and before any long cooking — is what keeps the color vivid.
7. Return the skillet with the remaining masala to medium heat. Add 3/4 cup water or broth, the seared chicken and its juices, and simmer covered for 10 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through (165°F).
8. Stir in the spinach purée and bring back to a bare simmer. Cook uncovered 5 minutes only, stirring often, just to marry the flavors — do not boil hard or hold it long, or the green will dull.
9. Off the heat, stir in the cream, garam masala and lemon juice. Taste and add salt until the greens taste sharp and seasoned rather than flat; it usually wants another 1/2 tsp. Let sit 5 minutes.
10. Serve over basmati rice or with naan, with a drizzle of cream, a scatter of sliced red onion and lemon wedges alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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