Chicken Palak

Submitted by Northern Cook

"This is a classic Indian dish for palak (spinach) chicken. Popeye would love this dish! This is a nutrient rich, low-fat and low-calorie meal that is great to have on rotation as part of a healthy diet."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 lb cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (I used skinless, boneless chicken thighs)
• 3 medium onions, diced
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced (or 12 smaller cloves garlic)
• 1 (7 ounce) can green chilies, peeled and diced
• 16 ounces frozen spinach (can use fresh)
• olive oil (for frying)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1⁄2 cup nonfat yogurt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• salt

directions

1. Boil the frozen spinach, according to package directions, until done. Place cooked spinach in a collindar and drain off excess water. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in Wok over medium heat.
3. Add cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and stir fry for one miute.
4. Add onions to spice mixture in wok and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add minced garlic, green chillies and coriander and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
6. Add spinach. Stir fry mixture for 4 minutes and remove from heat.
7. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick and set aside.
8. Using a hand held blender, process the mixture in the Wok until it becomes the consistency of a paste -or- process in a food processor until the consistency of a paste and return to wok. You can return the cinnamon stick and bay leaf back into the wok mixture at this time.
9. Turn heat back on and add yogurt to spinach paste and blend well.
10. If you like heat, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper and mix well.
11. Add the cooked chicken to the spinach/yogurt mixture until chicken is heated through.
12. Before serving, remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf and discard.
13. Serve with basmati rice and Lavash bread. Salt to taste.

Reviews

[hpoaanderson]

Excellent! I did not have yogurt so I omitted that, and I added 1 cup (or so) of chicken broth so I'd have plenty of sauce for the rice. It tasted like I bought it from a restaurant. A+++