Palak Chicken (Spinach Chicken Curry)

Chop the spinach instead of boiling it: I have seen a palak chicken recipe or two where the spinach is first boiled, then blanched and then pureed (phew!) to make it ready for the chicken curry. I have done away with these tedious steps and found (to my joy) that it makes not a jot of difference to the final dish. All you need to do, in my version, is to chop the spinach and dunk it in the curry. Saves a ton of effort.

Use chicken breast instead of bone-in chicken pieces: Boneless chicken, as everyone knows, cooks faster. I regularly make spinach chicken with boneless chicken breast pieces. The meat is fork-tender in 8-10 minutes and turns out yum!

Chicken: Boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs work well. I used breast meat, but if you are a chicken thigh gal (or guy), use that. It's a personal preference.

Baby spinach: I used baby spinach because it comes pre-washed in a packet and it is more tender than regular spinach. Just chop it and put it in the curry towards the end. It is, however, more pricey than regular spinach (convenience comes at a cost!)

Cooking oil: Any neutral cooking oil is fine in this recipe. I like to use light olive oil (not extra-virgin) because it is well, light, and does not have the lingering taste of olive oil, if that makes sense!

Cumin seeds: cumin seeds are generally added to hot oil before other ingredients. It's just another ingredient that makes Indian curries a little more nuanced. Not terribly essential but do add it if you have it. It certainly won't make or break the chicken palak.

Onions: One medium-sized red onion, sliced finely.

Ginger-garlic paste: This paste is one of those staples that Indian curries cannot do without. Use the individual pastes (separate bottles of ginger and garlic) available in the store, or make your own. It's always better to make a large batch and keep it in the fridge than to buy it (more expensive, less fresh), or to make it for every dish separately if you are seriously into Indian cooking.

Cashews: They add a creaminess to palak chicken that is super-desirable! Don't forget to soak the cashews for 5 minutes before making a paste.

Tomatoes: One red ripe tomato is all you need, essential for adding flavour, colour bulk and slight tang to the chicken palak curry.

Ground spices and salt (Red chilli, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala): These are the four basic spices used most often in Indian cooking.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Slice the onions finely and chop the tomatoes.

Chop the baby spinach: If using regular spinach, wash it first and cut off the thick stalks, then chop it finely.

Make the ginger-garlic paste: If making some for this recipe only, add the cashews too so you don't have to make cashew paste separately.

Make the cashew paste: If you already have the ginger-garlic paste, or you're using store-bought pastes, make the cashew paste. Add the cashews in a blender and a little of the water they were soaked in, and whiz to get a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a karahi or pan and add the cumin seeds followed by the onions. Sauté the onions until they caramelize and turn reddish-brown. Be careful not to over-brown the onions since this will translate into a brown-looking curry as well.

Add the chicken and sauté for two minutes again. Reduce the heat and add half a cup of water, stir well and let the chicken cook in the gravy for 12-15 minutes. You don't need to stir continuously at this point. Leave it to simmer in the liquid on low to medium heat. You will know the gravy is done when you can see the oil leave the sides of the pan. The chicken should be cooked through and tender.

Add the spinach as the last step. Stir the curry for 2 minutes only, just enough that the leaves wilt in the curry. Do not cook the curry for too long after adding the spinach, or it will get overcooked.. and overcooked spinach in palak chicken is no fun! Besides, the curry is still quite hot, so the spinach will continue cooking in it even after you turn off the heat. With this step, your palak chicken is ready to be served with hot roti or plain rice.

Switch on your instant pot to sauté and add the cooking oil to the steel insert. Wait for it to display HOT, then add the cumin and sliced onions. Fry until golden brown.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and cashew paste and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Then tip in the chopped tomatoes, salt and powdered spices. Sauté until the masala is thick and shiny and the oil leaves the sides (6-8 minutes). Cancel sauté.

Add the chicken pieces and ¾ cup water and stir to mix well. Secure the lid, make sure the steam release handle is on 'sealing' and press the pressure cooking button. Adjust it to high and set the timer for 5 minutes.

When the timer beeps, wait for 5 minutes, then release pressure by turning the steam release handle to 'venting'. Switch back to sauté and cook the curry for 2 minutes or until the masala becomes thick and shiny again. Finally, add the spinach leaves and stir until they wilt (not more than 2 minutes). Now, your palak chicken is ready to be served with some roti or rice.