Palak Murgh – Chicken & Spinach Curry

We have an unwritten rule at my home that a weeknight meal has to be ready to eat in about 45 minutes. I often make this dish, with rice cooking on the side, so that the three food groups – protein, fibre and carbohydrates – are included. You can, if you wish, wilt the spinach by cooking it with a couple of tablespoons of cold water in a saucepan and then whizzing it in a blender. I’ve used it chopped up here, for

added texture. Always wash bags of unwashed fresh spinach thoroughly – there is nothing worse than finding grit in a spinach curry!

2 large onions, finely diced

2 tablespoons tomato purée

600g boneless chicken breasts or thighs, skinned and cubed

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon medium-hot chilli powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

200g fresh spinach, washed and chopped

Serves 4

Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a frying pan and fry the onions over a high heat for 4–5 minutes until they start to change colour. Reduce the heat and cook for a further 3–4 minutes until they are soft and can be cut easily with the edge of a spoon.

Add 2 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste (page 26) and fry for 30 seconds, then add the tomato purée and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the chicken pieces and fry over a high heat to seal in the juices, then add the ground spices. Season with salt, pour in about 150ml cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and is white and hot all the way through when a piece is cut open.

Stir in the spinach and bring to the boil again. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Serve hot with rotis (page 28) or plain boiled rice (page 27).

This recipe is from Indian in 7 by Monisha Bharadwaj