Karahi Palak Chicken
This Karahi Palak Chicken blends the rich, earthy flavour of spinach with the bold spices of traditional karahi cooking. A beloved variation served at Foodiechief’s Bombay Palace in Batley, West Yorkshire. The dish pairs tender chicken with fresh baby spinach, simmered in a spiced tomato and yoghurt base for a hearty, wholesome curry. Perfect with naan, roti, or a bowl of steaming basmati rice, this recipe brings restaurant style flavour straight to your kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless chicken thighs cut into small-medium pieces
- 1 medium sized onion finely diced
- 4 tbsp sunflower oil or any neutral oil
- 300 g baby spinach
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and diced (alternatively use 2tsp ginger paste)
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- ½ tbsp green chilli, diced
- ½ tsp whole cumin
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- ½ tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 2 tbsp Foodiechief's Kashmiri chilli paste or 1½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 200 g plum tomatoes, pureed
- 2 tbsp yogurt mixed with a tablespoon of mustard oil (optional)
- salt to taste
Garnishes (optional)
- 1 inch Ginger peeled and cut into matchsticks (julienne)
- 3 whole green chilli, lightly fried
- coriander leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Pre-heat the saucepan on medium heat. Dry roast the cumin, until it becomes fragrant.
- Add oil & ½ tbsp kasuri methi and saute for 30s.
- Add the diced onion. Cook on medium-high heat till the onion edges are nicely browned, approx 6 mins.
- Add the minced ginger and garlic, saute until they become fragrant.
- Add the cubed chicken thighs followed by the turmeric powder, green chillies and salt. Mix in thoroughly and cook on high heat.
- Cover and continue to cook on high heat, stiring occasionally.
- After cooking with the lid for 5 minutes remove the lid to burn off the excess liquid which has released from the chicken and the oil separates from the sauce.
- Add Kashmiri chilli paste with coriander powder and cumin powder and mix thoroughly.
- Saute the spices for 2 mins.
- Add pureed tomatoes and turn the heat down to medium-high and cover with the lid. Cook until the oil is seperates from the sauce.
- Add whole spinach leaves. Cook on high heat until the spinach wilts and oil seperates from the sauce.
- Add the yoghurt & mustard oil mixture and heat through, ensuring that the yogurt is fully incorporated.
- Add the remaining ½ tbsp kasuri methi.
- Garnish with coriander leaves, fried green chillies and julienned ginger.