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    Saag Wala Chicken or Palak Chicken

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    Saag Wala Chicken or Palak Chicken is an outrageously delicious dish, full of flavor and loaded with nutrients!! It’s a fantastic combination of delicious ingredients that are cooked together to create the yummiest dishes of all. 

    Saag Wala Chicken or Palak Chicken

    “Saag” is a Punjabi term used for all leafy green preparations made with either spinach leaves, fenugreek leaves, mustard leaves or collard leaves. And saag wala chicken or palak chicken is one of them – an authentic Indian recipe and a real keeper.

    It tastes so delicious that even picky eaters won’t be able to resist this dish. Isn’t this a healthy way to incorporate leafy greens in a kid’s meal, a win-win situation for all of us. 😉

    Fresh Spinach - Ruchiskitchen

    Sharing with you, my mom’s way of making palak chicken. Growing up, my mom’s palak chicken was my favorite. She was a great cook and would cook this chicken every other weekend as a part of our Sunday brunch.

    I have to admit -The Best Palak chicken ever! Besides palak chicken, she prepared amazing dishes like –

    The list is endless!

    How to make palak chicken

    How To make Saag Wala Chicken?

    I begin the recipe by blanching spinach leaves. Blanching is the best way to preserve the nutrients and flavor of the greens. Additionally, it removes some of the oxalates that spinach contains.

    Did you know: Blanching, or shocking the cooked greens or leafy vegetables in ice water, preserves the beautiful green color.

    Next step is to prepare the gravy.  

    It’s a basic gravy prepared with onion-ginger-garlic and tomato. I have prepared the gravy from scratch but if you already have onion-tomato masala on hand, use that to save some cooking time. Did you know you can cook onion-tomato masala in a slow cooker too? Other substitutes- 

    • Ghee adds a depth of flavor to this dish but, feel free to use oil as a substitute. 
    • Instead of curd, cashew paste can be added to the gravy for a creamy texture.
    • Chicken can be substituted with mutton but the overall cooking time will vary as lamb takes longer to cook.
    palak-chicken-recipe-3

    Enjoy the goodness of spinach and chicken in this hearty and healthy recipe. Do give this delicious recipe a try and I am sure you are going to love it as much as we do!! 

    These elegant recipes will rock your parties!! Chicken seekh kebab, Afghani seekh kebab, kakori kebab, Keema samosa, Tandoori chicken, kalmi kebab, chicken chop, Dhaba style chicken, Chicken Keema, Butter Chicken.

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    Saag Wala Chicken or Palak Chicken

    Saag Wala Chicken is an outrageously delicious chicken and spinach recipe
    Print
    4.21 from 53 votes
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Indian
    Keyword Indian Saag Chicken Recipe, Palak Chicken Curry Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 55 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings 6 PEOPLE
    Calories 131kcal
    Author Ruchi

    Tools And Equipment

    Ingredients

    FOR GRAVY

    • 1 kg Fresh Spinach blanched
    • ½ kg Boneless Chicken – washed and cleaned
    • 3 medium Onions pureed
    • 1 tablespoons Garlic paste
    • 1 tablespoons Ginger paste
    • 3 medium Tomatoes boiled and crushed
    • 2 tablespoons Yogurt
    • 3 tablespoons Tomato puree
    • 2 tablespoons Fresh cream (optional)
    • 1 tablespoon Ghee
    • 3 tablespoons Mustard Oil

    SPICES

    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    BLANCHING PALAK

    • Wash and clean Spinach.
    • Boil water in a pan. Add spinach. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Using a slotting spoon remove spinach and..
    • Drop into a large bowl of ice water.
    • This will stop the cooking process.
    • Once cooled, put the spinach into a strainer to drain the water. Rinse again with tap water. Press and squeeze all the excess water. Transfer the blanched spinach to a blender and blend until smooth. Blanched spinach is ready. Set it aside.

    PREPARING GRAVY

    • Wash and clean the tomatoes. Apply a small incision in tomatoes and drop them in a potful of boiling water for 7-9 minutes.
    • Soon you will notice the skin peeling off from the tomatoes. Using a slotted spoon remove tomatoes from hot water and give them a cold bath by dropping in cold water. This will speed up the peeling process.
    • Peel off the tomato skin and discard. Using a sharp knife chop the juicy flesh of tomatoes.
    • Assemble all the masala ingredients.
    • And dry spices.
    • Heat the mustard oil in a pan. Mustard oil has a very strong flavor. Therefore, to get rid of that pungent flavor, cook mustard oil to its smoking point and take it off the flame. Let it cool.
    • When ready to make the masala – Reheat the mustard oil and add ghee to the same pan. Add whole spices and cumin seeds.
    • As they start to crackle, add ginger-garlic paste. Mix and saute for 1-2 minutes. Stir in onion paste and mix to combine.
    • Keep sauteing until all the liquid has evaporated and masala looks all dried. Stir in crushed tomatoes.
    • Add tomato puree and stir in all the dry spices one by one.
    • I prefer to cook garam masala powder along with my gravy, instead of adding it at the last minute. This way it releases more flavor and adds heat to the gravy.
    • Add yogurt and mix until incorporated. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, till the masala is reduced in size and ghee/oil, starts to separate. Add blanched palak to it.
    • Mix well and allow it to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile clean and wash chicken pieces.
    • Add chicken pieces to cooked palak.
    • Mix and pour 1/2 cup of water. Cover and cook until the chicken pieces are fully cooked.
    • It will take approximately another 15 minutes. Add sugar if the saag tastes bitter.
    • Saag chicken is ready. Garnish it with cream and serve hot over rice or chapati.
    • If you prefer you can use mutton instead of chicken, cooking time will vary.
    Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided below is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. Please refer to a Registered Dietitian or Nutritionists if you have any health issues.

    Nutrition Information

    Nutrition Facts
    Saag Wala Chicken or Palak Chicken
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 131 Calories from Fat 27
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 3g5%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Cholesterol 57mg19%
    Sodium 113mg5%
    Potassium 472mg13%
    Carbohydrates 5g2%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 18g36%
    Vitamin A 1200IU24%
    Vitamin C 8.5mg10%
    Calcium 36mg4%
    Iron 1.2mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you make this recipe?Take a picture and share with me on Facebook or Instagram and Mention @ruchiskitchen! I would love to see how it turned out for you!

    Comments

      • Ruchi says

        Zehra, for this recipe I have blanched spinach. Blanching helps to preserve its beautiful color and texture. Also, some varieties of spinach come with a very strong flavor and blanching helps tone down that strong taste. Feel free to experiment without blanching. 🙂

        Reply

    7. Laya says

      Tried this for lunch today n tasted rlly rlly yumm! Was quite not sure how Palak n Chkn wud taste together. But ur recipe rocked it! Thanks Ruchi fr the awesome recipe.

      Reply

    11. manali says

      I have tried this recipe and it turned out real good. Sorry to brag! I am going to cook it again for guests tomorrow. I am from Delhi and this is the best time for all types of saags. I would also like to try meethi chicken. Meethi is sometimes a liitle bitter, when cooked. How can that be fixed?

      Reply

      • Ruchi says

        Awesome. Thanks for your kind words and wonderful feedback Manali!Glad to hear that you liked the recipe.
        This is how I remove bitterness from methi.
        Just like spinach, I blanch methi. Since methi is bitter than spinach, I add a teaspoon of lemon juice along with salt to the boiling water. Blanch as directed and then drain the excess water. This will take care of the bitterness.
        Hope this helps!

        Reply

    13. Uneza says

      Hi.. Will be trying this recipe right now. Just had a few doubts… Is the tomato puree store bought?? If yes.. What would be the other option.
      You have mentioned half cup of onion paste.. How many onions would that be approximately?

      Reply

      • Ruchi says

        Yes, I have used store bought tomato puree. You can substitute it with fresh tomatoes (in pureed form).
        1/2 cup onion paste equals 2 medium onions or 1 large onion.
        Happy Cooking!!

        Reply

    16. Jacquie says

      Hello Ruchi,
      I want to make this Chicken Saag today…it looks so delicious! I was wondering if it keeps in the fridge for a few days. If so, does it reheat nicely?

      Reply

      • Ruchi says

        Thanks Jacquie! Prepared saag stays good in the refrigerator for 2 days (depending on the weather).
        Chicken saag freezes beautifully. Prepare the saag, once cooled transfer it to a airtight container and freeze. When ready to use, thaw for 3-4 hours in the fridge. Warm it over the cooktop or in the microwave and enjoy!!

        Reply

      • Ruchi says

        Thanks for stopping by Betty. The dry equivalents are 3 lb fresh spinach leaves = 2 cup cooked spinach = 2 (10 ounce) frozen spinach packets.

        Reply

    20. Mich says

      I made this in the weekend and it was yummo. The instructions were very good however just one small problem I had trying to work out how much spinach makes 2 cups pureed spinach…ended up doing 3 batches of spinach to get the right amount lol. A weight of the dried spinach before cooking would be very useful here.

      Reply

      • Ruchi says

        Thanks for trying the recipe Mich! Glad you liked.
        Have taken down your request and will update the recipe soon. 🙂

        Reply

    21. Karen says

      I had to mention I’m grateful I came onto your page! Its fabulous. Simply love it with systematic and step wise layouts and presentations. Tried this recipe word to word and its too delicious. We were licking our fingers which is strictly prohibited in my home. Drool worthy recipes and such lovely pictures.

      Love <3
      Karen from Sydney

      Reply

    22. Ruhee says

      Hey ruchi,

      Just tried this recipe for the first time the other night and it was a finger licking good experience!..sorry if that sounded cliched but it was truely yummm..a small addition to ur recipe i had tho..was that i threw in about 3 to 4 green chillies and the spice and slight acidity of the curd just belnded sooo well that im inspired to try this same recipe in mutton for an upcoming dinner party..pls let me know if there are any cooking tips that needs to be altered while using mutton for this recipe..like will it help reduce the cooking time if i tenderise the mutton by marinading it in a lil curd or in vinegar?…thanks again!..im browsing through ur list of recipes for my next cooking adventure😊😊

      Reply

    23. eva says

      This was so delicious and easy once I memorised the order of things. I’ll definitely come back to this recipe as a base for experimentation. I’ve never used pureed onions, such a nice flavour that disperses evenly, it’s so obvious! My sensitive eyes preferred this method much more than blindly, ferociously chopping. Thanks for such a great recipe and for introducing my to new things!

      Reply

      • Ruchi says

        Thanks for stopping by Eva! Glad you liked the recipe, your wonderful feedback makes it all the more worthwhile and special. 🙂

        Reply

    24. kuldeep Kaur says

      Hi, I’m a Malaysian Punjabi n i had a meal of this super Saag WalaChicken in a restaurant in Glasgow n back home now I was looking for a gud receipe ……find yours to be a perfect one….well explained with illustrations.Tq Rushi.

      Reply

    25. Aisha says

      Hi The recipe is indeed good however in ingredients u have mentioned curd but it’s missing in the preparation.when should we add the curf

      Reply

    26. katy says

      Thanks so much for your wonderful recipe and great easy to follow photographs. Its a beauty, my current food obsession. Ive tried many Saagwala type recipes but not come close to this. I have made a few small changes, but its your method of making the pastes with the onions, tomatoes garlic and ginger that really make a difference I think. Thanks again…..its on the menu again tonight!

      Reply

      • RK says

        You are welcome Katy. So happy to hear that you liked Saagwala chicken recipe, it’s my family favorite too. Thanks for trying and sharing your wonderful feedback with me. 🙂

        Reply

    27. Akshatha says

      Hi Ruchi,
      I tried this recipe it turned out to be yummy. My husband and me just loved it. Used the same measurement like you mentioned thanks for sharing this recipe. This is an easy way of getting palak into our systems. Thanks again.

      Reply

      • RK says

        Miri, substitute 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic for 1 teaspoon of garlic paste and substitute 1 teaspoon ginger paste for 2 inch piece of freshly grated ginger.

        Reply

    29. Doc Rock says

      hi. your recipe states 3 tomatoes, but in the tutorial pics u have used 8 tomatoes. Please clarify bcos i want to use double the amount of chicken.

      Reply

      • RK says

        Doc Rock, only three tomatoes are used in the recipe. It’s just the procedure that is shown in pics. If you scroll down to pic 3 you will see three peeled and chopped tomatoes.

        Reply

    32. Mukesh Datta says

      Hi Ruchi

      Cooked your Saag Wala Chicken, Wonderful! the illustrated step by step instructions its so simple to cook whereas when the dish is placed on the table it replicates a professionals job. Love the right quantities of ingredients. Today I celebrate my 32 anniversary have called family for dinner and sure enough will treat them to this gastronomical delight 😉

      Reply

    35. Archana says

      Amazing..truly wonderful recipe. Perfect balance of spices and steps are clearly marked. Thanks Ruchi. you made my dinner extra special today!

      Reply

    36. Diksha says

      Tried this and very tasty results. I don’t like spinach that much but seeing this recipe was tempted to try it out, great successful recipe and at home everyone is asking for a second round of it. Thanks Ruchi!

      Reply

    38. Shipra says

      Very authentic and amazingly delicious recipe. In fact the chicken pieces got coated so well in the palak gravy that everyone licked there fingers and plate. It took me about 55 minutes from start to finish and the dish came out beautifully. Ruchi, your recipes are well written and explained and that is why I come back to your site more often. Thanks for a successful recipe.

      Reply

    39. Sanjay says

      What a recipe. Too good and so delicious. Ruchi, love the way you display your cooking talent! I am a huge admirer of your work.

      Reply

    40. Vandana says

      Best Chicken Saag I’ve ever made. I did double up the spices according to my taste. This is an excellent recipe and I will definitely be making it again. Thanks for sharing. Even my little kids devoured this meal. Huge Huge hit! Love you 🙂

      Reply

    41. Kathy says

      I wanted to thank you for taking the time in showing such detailed pictures and steps. I have little experience with Indian cooking, and your tutorials make all the difference in the world. I know it takes a lot of time, but thank you.

      Reply

    42. RADHIKA says

      Hi Ruchi,

      Loved ur recipes.. Tried few of ur Indian snack recipes n came out very good.. Please don’t mind me asking but do u share videos for non-veg recipes too.. If yes, I would be happy to watch them n try cooking..
      Thank u n plz do reply…

      Radhika.

      Reply

      • RK says

        Thanks Radhika! At present I don’t have any video presentation all I do is a detailed step by step recipe tutorial.Keep checking we will be posting some non-veg recipes pretty soon 🙂

        Reply

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