Punjab Spinach Curry With Chicken Food

CHICKEN SAAG (CHICKEN AND SPINACH CURRY)

Steps:

• 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.
• Over medium heat, add the salt, 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.
• 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.
• Transfer spinach mixture to a blender 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.
• Meanwhile, wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, 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. Pour the spinach mixture back over the chicken, using a rubber spatula to get every last bit out of the blender, 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.

PUNJAB SPINACH CURRY WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• thouroughly pat dry chicken thighs and cut into bite sized pieces, place into a medium bowl.
• mix spices together and sprinkle over chicken, mix together well, assuring the chicken is well coated with spices. let sit while putting rice to cook.
• For Rice: prepare rice according to recipe or your rice cooker's manufacturer's direction, using chicken stock instead of water and adding cilantro.
• Heat oil over medium high heat in large skillet.
• spread chicken out in skillet to brown, assuring that they are not too close together. . . do this in two batches if you have to.
• remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
• sautee onions until translucent in remaining oil (now seasoned with the spices from the chicken.
• add garlic and sautee until fragrant (about 30-60 seconds).
• add jar of sauce, water, tomatoes and spinach, heat until bubbling.
• reintroduce the chicken to the pan, including any juices that have accumulated.
• bring to the bubble, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, covered, until chicken is done.
• serve over rice.

INDIAN PUNJABI PALAK KADHI - SPINACH CURRY WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, combine yogurt, 4 cups water, gram flour, 2 tablespoons coriander, turmeric, and salt (do this in 2 batches because of the volume); set aside.
• Make sure yogurt is thoroughly blended, or it will curdle during the cooking process.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large wok or a saucepan over moderately high heat and cook, stirring, until the peppers sizzle, about 30-45 seconds (they may get white spots on them) (also, stand back in case peppers burst and may fly into your eyes).
• Add the onion, ginger, and garlic, cooking until the onion is tender, about 2 minutes.
• Very slowly add the yogurt mixture, stirring constantly, and bring it to a boil, cooking about 4-5 minutes.
• Make sure you stir the yogurt or it will curdle.
• Reduce wok heat if ingredients start to boil over.
• Once liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is smooth and silky, and oil becomes visible, about 45-50 minutes.
• Adjust thickness of sauce with the exta cup of water, if needed (cook further if it is too thin).
• Sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.
• Stir in the fenugreek, then add spinach, and simmer about 5 minutes more.
• Check consistency of sauce, and thin if necessary.
• Heat remaining oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and briefly heat dried peppers (about 30 seconds), shaking pan; stir in coriander and remove from heat (alternatively, for an oil-free method, dry roast peppers and coriander briefly in pan, but do not toast the paprika).
• Add paprika and IMMEDIATELY pour mixture over the curry; do not delay or the paprika will burn.
• Serve at once with steamed basmati rice.