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–+ servings
Palak chicken served on a white plate with steamed basmati rice, sliced tomatoes, fresh green chilies, and roti on the side.
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Palak Chicken Recipe (Authentic Pakistani Chicken Saag)

yield: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
The BEST Palak Chicken recipe with bone-in chicken, vibrant green spinach, and a ghee tarka finish that makes this dish unforgettable. Easy to follow, tested, and authentically Pakistani.
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Ingredients
 

For the curry

  • ½ cup cooking oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds zeera
  • 1 tsp black pepper powder
  • 1 medium red onion finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 1 kg 2.2 lbs whole chicken, cut into karahi-size pieces (bone-in)
  • 1 tsp red cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tbsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp pink Himalayan salt adjust to taste
  • 1 medium Roma tomato finely chopped
  • 2 medium green chilies finely chopped
  • ½ cup full-fat plain yogurt or ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 800 g fresh spinach washed, blanched, and blended (or 550 to 600g frozen, thawed)

For the ghee tarka finish

  • 5 tbsp desi ghee
  • ⅓ medium onion thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 medium green chili sliced into rounds
  • Handful of fresh cilantro finely chopped

Instructions

  • Prep the spinach: Wash the spinach well. Bring a pot of water to a boil, blanch the spinach for 2 minutes, then shock in ice water. Drain and blend into a smooth paste. Set aside.
  • Fry the onions: Heat the cooking oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cumin seeds. Fry until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the chicken: Add the chicken pieces, chopped green chilies, and ginger garlic paste. Fry until the water from the chicken cooks off, about 10 minutes.
  • Bhunai: Add the chopped tomato, ground spices (red cayenne, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, black pepper, salt), and yogurt. Fry on high heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the oil starts to separate.
  • Add the spinach: Stir in the blended spinach paste. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. If the curry is too watery, uncover and cook on high heat while stirring so the spinach does not burn.
  • Make the ghee tarka: In a small pan, heat the desi ghee. Add the sliced onion and red chili flakes. Fry until the onions are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Pour over the palak chicken. Scatter the sliced green chili and chopped cilantro on top.
  • Serve hot with rice, roti, naan, or paratha.

Notes

  • To make this dairy-free, skip the yogurt and use oil instead of ghee for the tarka.
  • Frozen spinach works well, use 550 to 600g thawed. Baby spinach also works, use about 1 lb (skip the blanching step for baby spinach if you prefer, just wilt it briefly before blending).
  • You can prep the spinach ahead and freeze it. Wash, freeze in a bag, and crush inside the bag with a rolling pin when ready to cook.
  • Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 weeks.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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