Chicken and Chick Pea Saag

I kept the camera in the bag for one of the less photogenic Indian dishes I've seen....saag. The 'saag' refers to spinach and there are all types of saag dishes at the local Indian restaurants. Typically they involve chick peas or paneer (cheese), but recently at India Garden there was Chicken Saag.

So I decided to mesh my two favorites into one. This was incredibly easy to make and the results were great. Despite its appearance (think pesto), it's very accessible to the skeptics. I saw the saag time after time at the buffet, skipping over it again and again, until one time I just went for it. As with most things, the fear was unjustified, and it was delicious.

I started with this recipe from Allrecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-saag/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=chicken%20saag&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page) and made some adjustments based on what I had on hand. The best part about it....it's pretty much a one-pot meal (except for blanching the spinach).

Here's my version and what you need to make it:

2 large bags fresh baby spinach, blanched
3 or so garlic cloves, minced and mashed
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced and mashed
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15 oz can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 medium-sized yellow onion, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup half and half
1-2 teaspoons garam masala


Set the 1/4 cup of water in a large pot over high heat, add the spinach, and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, remove from the heat and put a lid on the pot. Let the spinach sit for about 10 minutes, then add it and the water to a blender jar with the minced/mashed ginger and the tomatoes. Blend to a smooth puree.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add a few swirls of olive oil (or veg oil) to the pan. Add the chicken and fry until lightly browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the onions and garlic and fry together until lightly browned and soft (about 5-7 min).

Thrown in all the spices and stir to combine for another 2 minutes or so (add a few tablespoons of water to the pan as needed to help incorporate everything). Then add the spinach mixture and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the half and half, chicken, and the chickpeas.

Simmer on low for about 20 minutes until the chickpeas are nice and tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Adjust spices, primarily salt, curry powder, and garam masala, as necessary to your taste.

And that's it...it's that easy. Summon your inner popeye and try this out. I served it (to myself) with some naan and paratha (Indian flat breads) from the freezer section of my local Indian grocery store and some jasmine rice. Speaking of that...here's a tip. If you're interested in making Indian food at home, don't go buying spices or rice at your regular grocery store. You can get all of those listed in the ingredients list at a fraction of the price at an Indian grocery store.

I'll post pictures here the next time I make this. Think more Van Gogh than DaVinci...but it sure is tasty.