Having lived in India, our son’s absolute favorite dish is Palak Paneer – a spinach curry with Indian Paneer cheese. He demands it at least once a week! It is a great vegetarian curry and you can find Paneer in some specialty Indian stores, but it is not always easy to find. This is a variation on the same recipe, using a leg of chicken, but pieces of chicken breasts are also OK. If you are vegan you could substitute the chicken or Paneer for large chunks of white button mushrooms.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs or breasts
- 1kg spinach
- 3 cm fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder (to add sweetness)
- salt
- pepper
- 2 tomatoes, blended
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 4 tbsp coconut yoghurt (optional)
- Coconut oil
Directions
- Wash the spinach and get rid of the thickest stalks.
- Cook the spinach with the ginger and some salt until wilted.
- Let it cool off a little, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Heat two tablespoons of coconut or olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the fenugreek seeds and bay leaves.Fry until the spices become fragrant.
- Add the onion and fry until soft.
- Add the garlic, ground spices, salt and pepper and fry for a minute more. Stir well so the spices won’t burn.
- Add the blended tomatoes and cook softly until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the spinach mixture to the tomatoes and cook on a low heat for a few minutes.
- When using the coconut yoghurt, stir it it in a tablespoon at the time. When the yoghurt has been absorbed by the sauce, add another spoon.
- Add the chicken, bring to the boil, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add a little water during the cooking process if the sauce starts to dry out
- Take the lid off and cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is done.
- Sprinkle with the Garam Masala and serve with a little extra coconut yoghurt, steamed rice or cauliflower rice.
Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Blur – Lonesome street