Spinach chicken Saag murg

Ingredients

600g (1lb 5oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4cm (1½ inch) pieces

FOR THE MARINADE

4 tablespoons natural yogurt

2.5cm (1 inch) piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

2 garlic cloves, grated

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon chilli powder

FOR THE CURRY

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 onions, roughly chopped

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder)

1 teaspoon salt

200g (7oz) spinach leaves

100ml (3½fl oz) boiling water

Directions

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn in the marinade until well coated. Leave to marinate while you cook the curry base.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add the onions and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until they start to colour. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until they soften. Blitz to a paste with a hand blender or in a blender or food processor.

Return the onion paste to the pan, if necessary, and add the ground spices, salt and marinated chicken with any excess marinade. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, put the spinach leaves into another pan and pour over the measured boiling water. Cover and leave for 2 minutes until wilted. Then blitz to a purée with a hand blender or in a blender or food processor.

Stir the puréed spinach into the chicken curry and heat through, then serve.

Notes

Chicken curry is one of my favourites and that is one reason I enjoy experimenting and trying new approaches. Here, the chicken is marinated in a ginger and garlic mixture, in which it can be left for longer if you have time. The sauce uses mostly storecupboard spices, yet once you add the amchur (mango powder) and stir puréed spinach into the creamy curry, it turns into something extraordinary. Delicious with Tamarind and Sesame Seed Rice, or naan or chapattis.