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You are here: Home » Chicken

Published: Mar 2, 2019 · Modified: Jul 28, 2024 by Saima · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases · This blog generates income via ads.

Palak Chicken (Spinach Chicken Curry)

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  • 377
Jump to Recipe
spinach chicken in a bowl with naan on the side and a spoon
Palak chicken in a pan.

This palak chicken recipe is a flavour bomb! Tender pieces of boneless chicken and baby spinach come together in a delicious curry made creamy with cashews. This is the best of North Indian chicken recipes and a foodie's dream come true! Both stovetop and instant pot recipes included.

Love spinach? Check out palak paneer and palak pulao as well.

palak chicken in a bowl with naan and rice on the side

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Jump to:
  • Palak Chicken
  • Two hacks to make easy palak chicken
  • Ingredients
  • Stovetop instructions
  • Instant pot instructions
  • Best side dishes for palak chicken
  • 📖 Recipe

Palak Chicken

When it comes to easy and healthy chicken recipes, palak chicken or spinach chicken curry is one of my (and my fam's) favourites. A high protein meal, it combines the goodness of palak and chicken, and it is very tasty.

The secret ingredient in this recipe is cashews. A handful of them, when pureed and added to the simmering gravy makes a world of difference to the texture and taste of palak chicken. The gravy becomes wonderfully creamy and thick, just the way it's supposed to be.

If you love luscious chicken curries, do try butter chicken (everyone's favourite), chicken korma and chicken madras as well.

Two hacks to make easy palak chicken

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!

So, these are my two simple hacks for keeping your cooking process easy and fuss-free. And if you have the ginger-garlic paste ready (you can make this beforehand and store in your refrigerator), this palak chicken recipe is a cinch!

Ingredients

Note: Exact amounts are given in the recipe card further down.

Palak chicken labelled ingredients.

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!)

Note: If you use regular spinach (which you absolutely can), make sure to wash it thoroughly first, as more often than not, it is full of soil and dirt. Also, remember to cut off the tough stalks first before chopping it. The stalks, if left as is, add a slightly bitter taste and stringy bits to the curry, which we certainly don't want.

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.

Hot tip: If making the paste specifically for this recipe, add soaked cashews to the ginger and garlic and make one paste instead of two! In this case, you will need 6-8 garlic cloves and a small knob of ginger, about 1" in size.

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.

Tip: If you don't have ground garam masala, you can add whole spices too. 3-4 green cardamom, 3-4 cloves and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Whole spices add the same flavour (more, in fact), but they are inconvenient to fish out of a curry. You can't swallow them or chew them! If using whole spices, add them in step 1 of cooking, i.e. with the cumin seeds.

Chicken Palak in two bowls with roti on the side.

Stovetop instructions

Preparation

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.

How to make ginger-garlic paste: Put equal quantities of peeled and roughly chopped ginger and garlic in a blender, add a few tablespoons water and blend to get a smooth, thick paste. Use as required and spoon the extra into a clean glass bottle and keep covered in the fridge.

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.

Cooking

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.

Caramelized onions in a karahi.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and the cashew paste and sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat to cook the pastes slightly. Add the tomatoes, salt and the powdered spices, and again sauté for 6-8 minutes (frequent stirring) to cook the masala. Add a splash of water if the masala sticks to the pan. You will know the masala is cooked when it takes on a dark, glossy look, loses the raw smell, and the oil leaves the sides of the pan.

Note: Sautéing the masala is a very important step called 'bhuna'. This is what removes the raw smell of the ginger and garlic and enhances the taste of the chicken curry. Don't skip this step!

Masala for palak chicken in a karahi.

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.

Cooked chicken in a karahi.

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.

palak chicken cooking in a pan

Instant pot instructions

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.

Tip: Do not let the steel insert remain in the instant pot once the palak chicken is done. Because everything is so hot, the spinach will continue cooking in it and will become over-cooked by the time you get around to plating the curry. The best option is to take it out in a bowl as soon as the curry is cooked.

Best side dishes for palak chicken

Chicken is fantastic with some roti or plain boiled rice, but if you want to move away from the same old and do things differently, try some new side dishes to go with it. Here are a few recipes that complement it perfectly:

  • Whole Wheat Naan - Soft, pillowy and healthy naan bread made with whole wheat flour or atta.
  • Cumin Rice - Basmati rice flavored with cumin and other whole spices.
  • Onion Raita - A quick and easy yogurt dip that is a must-have with curries.
  • Bombay Potatoes - Crispy and spicy baby potatoes with soft insides.

These are just a few possibilities. Find a lot more recipes for what to serve with chicken curry in this post: 20+ Best Side Dishes for Chicken Curry. You'll never run out of ideas for interesting sides!

palak chicken in a bowl with a spoon and naan and rice on the side

Tried this recipe? Please consider giving it a star rating and a comment below. If you're on Instagram, feel free to tag me so I can see your gem. I'd love to hear from you! Thank you:)

📖 Recipe

Chicken palak in a bowl with a spoon.

Palak Chicken (Spinach Chicken Curry)

Saima Zaidi
Palak chicken is made with tender pieces of boneless chicken breast and spinach leaves simmered in a tomato gravy. Ground cashews make it creamy and rich.
4.86 from 21 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 367 kcal

Equipment

  • Blender for making the ginger-garlic and cashew pastes
  • karahi or pan for cooking the curry
  • Instant Pot, 6-quart if making palak chicken in the instant pot

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1.1 lbs chicken breast boneless, skinless breast meat or thigh meat
  • 5 oz baby spinach chopped finely
  • ⅓ cup cooking oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 red onion medium-sized, sliced finely
  • 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 12 cashews soaked
  • 1 tomato medium-sized, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup water ¾ cup if using instant pot
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Instructions
 

Preparation 

  • Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
  • Chop the spinach finely. If using regular spinach, first wash it thoroughly, cut off the thick stalks and then chop finely.
  • Slice the onions and chop the tomatoes.
  • Make the ginger-garlic paste. Put 6-8 garlic cloves and an inch long piece of ginger in a blender along with a few tablespoons of water and blend. If making the exact amount needed for this recipe, you can throw in the cashews too for convenience. No need to puree them separately.
  • If you already have the ginger-garlic paste, make the cashew paste separately. Put the cashews (along with a little water in which you soaked them) in a blender and blend to get a smooth paste.

Stovetop Instructions

  • Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin. Follow with the onions and fry until they caramelize and turn reddish brown.
  • Add the ginger-garlic paste and cashew paste and sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat or until the masala is thick and shiny. Add a few splashes of water to keep the masala from burning.
  • Add the tomatoes, powdered spices (chilli powder through garam masala powder), and salt and sauté for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently to cook the masala. The masala is done when it turns glossy and the oil leaves the sides of the pan.
  • Add the chicken pieces and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add ½ cup water and simmer on low-medium heat for 12-15 minutes or until tender.
  • Add the chopped spinach leaves and cook for 2 minutes, not more. Spoon out the palak chicken in a bowl and serve with Indian bread or rice.

Instant Pot Instructions

  • Switch on your instant pot to sauté and add the cooking oil. Wait for it to display HOT, then add the cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle (a few seconds), add the onions and fry until golden brown.
  • Add the ginger-garlic paste and cashew paste and sauté until the masala is thick and shiny (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. 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. 
  • Add the spinach leaves. They will wilt very quickly. Let the spinach cook in the chicken masala for 1-2 minutes only. Serve hot with Indian bread or rice.

Notes

  1. Don't over-brown the onions as this will lead to a brown looking curry as well.
  2. Powdered garam masala is easily available in Indian or Pakistani groceries, or even Walmart. If you do not have it, you can add whole garam masala (3-4 green cardamom, 3-4 cloves and ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns. 
  3. If using whole garam masala, add it with the cumin at the beginning of the cooking process. 
  4. Cook the masala very well before adding the chicken. This technique called 'bhuna' really enhances the flavor of the final dish. 
  5. Do not overcook the chicken once you add the spinach; in fact, remove the pan from the hob after the spinach has simmered in the gravy for 2 minutes. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 367kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 29gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 770mgPotassium: 829mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3768IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg
Keyword easy chicken dinner, instant pot chicken with spinach, palak chicken, spinach chicken
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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2.0K shares
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sumera says

    January 16, 2020 at 1:41 pm

    How do you make cashew paste?

    Reply
    • Saima says

      January 16, 2020 at 8:40 pm

      Soak the cashews in a few tablespoons water for 15-20 minutes, then put the cashews plus water in a small blender. Puree until you get a paste.

      Reply
  2. Bilkis says

    January 18, 2020 at 4:47 pm

    5 stars
    Looks healthy & delicious
    I’ll definitely try
    Thanks

    Reply
  3. Georgia says

    April 16, 2020 at 4:16 pm

    How much of garam masala should use? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Saima says

      April 20, 2020 at 5:29 pm

      Georgia, you can put between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp garam masala.

      Reply
  4. Deepz says

    October 20, 2020 at 8:45 pm

    What to use if i dont have cashews ?

    Reply
    • Saima says

      October 21, 2020 at 7:04 pm

      You can try using almonds - they will also add creaminess thought the test might be a little different.

      Reply
  5. Shalini says

    March 01, 2021 at 11:19 am

    Saima when U say one Breast means what should the weight be

    Reply
    • Saima says

      March 01, 2021 at 2:27 pm

      Shalini, an average chicken breast would be 5 or 6 ounces or about 150 grams.

      Reply
  6. Malinda says

    November 01, 2022 at 8:45 am

    5 stars
    Made this tonight for dinner and everyone loved it! It was so simple and quick to make. I added half of the recommended chili powder quantity because of the kids and it was still so delicious. Already saved this in my bookmarks! 😊

    Reply
    • Saima says

      November 01, 2022 at 1:20 pm

      Thank you Malinda! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  7. Ryan says

    September 12, 2023 at 7:40 pm

    5 stars
    Picky Girlfriend loved it!

    Reply
4.86 from 21 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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Hi, I'm Saima! I live in Alberta, Canada with my husband and twin boys. Here, you'll find Indian recipes with fresh, natural ingredients and easy, no-fuss cooking techniques. Welcome to my blog!

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