Chicken Saag | Protein packed Indian chicken and spinach
Truly one of a kind, chicken saag is a warming and comforting recipe made for cool cozy evenings. Indian chicken Saag (Murgh Saagwala) is an easy one pot recipe that will have you licking the bowl. Flavourful and nutritious, this low carb Indian chicken is a must try.
Naturally low in carbs and high in protein with only 5.5 g total carbs (4 g net carbs) per serving and 50g of protein!
This recipe is also packed with beneficial minerals, electrolytes and vitamins and from natural whole foods.
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5 Quick Tips to Master Chicken Saag
- Always, Always, ALWAYS temper your spices – Add the raw spices directly to the hot oil, and fry briefly for 30-60 seconds to temper. This will even out the flavours, remove any bitterness, and give them a nice nutty flavour.
- Brown the chicken – While its common to toss raw chicken right into the gravy and simmer, I like to brown the chicken slightly to add a bit more flavour.
- Use finely chopped spinach – Finely chopping the spinach first can prevent the stringy tough bits in the gravy while still keeping it rustic. If you want a perfectly smooth gravy you can blanch and blend the spinach first but it’s an extra, unnecessary step (and dishes) if you take the time to chop it finely first. Frozen spinach also works great for this since it is already quite soft but it lacks some of the flavour you get from fresh spinach.
- Add water as needed – As the gravy simmers it will reduce, feel free to add water as needed if you want to increase the amount of gravy or want to simmer it longer.
- Salt as you go – It’s hard to tell you exactly how much salt you need to make a curry. Just salt as you go, make sure each ingredient is properly seasoned, and when it’s safe to do so (no raw chicken in the pot) taste and adjust the seasoning as you go. Don’t do the final seasoning until after you’re done simmering the gravy, or it might be too salty once it reduces.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A classic yet unique Indian chicken curry thats a nice change from some of the more common indian recipes.
- Packed with healthy spinach, spices, and high protein.
- This recipe is naturally low in carbs, and high in protein, perfect for keto and low carbs diets.
- Fairly simple to make, this one pot Indian curry uses common easy to find spices.
What is Chicken Saag?
Chicken saag (Murgh Saagwala) is a simple Indian dish with tender chunks of chicken simmered in a fragrant curry gravy with spinach and tomatoes. The spinach can be fresh or frozen, and is added towards the end and then simmered until tender making the gravy rich, healthy, and incredibly nutritious. It’s a great chicken recipe to cozy up to on a cool fall day.
Chicken Saag Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oil/Butter/Ghee – Fat is a must for frying the onions, spices, and meat. Don’t skimp and add it as needed. Butter and ghee will have the most flavour.
- Salt – Another important part of making a flavourful curry, use it liberally! Add it as needed and taste as you go when its safe to do so.
- Onions – White, red, or yellow, whatever you prefer, these will form the base of the gravy.
- Garlic and Ginger – Fresh or jarred, it’s best to mince or grind into a paste for a smooth flavourful gravy.
- Pro-tip: You can turn minced garlic or ginger into a paste by mixing it with a little bit of salt and then repeatedly smearing or mashing it against the cutting board with the side of a large knife.
- Spices – Turmeric, garam masala, Kashmiri red chili/cayenne, black pepper. Most of these should be fairly easy to find in the ethnic section of any grocery store, or you can buy them online. (just click on the name of the spice above you want to buy)
- Aromatics – Cardamom pods (green or black), cloves, chilies, cinnamon stick
- Chicken – I prefer tender chunks of boneless skinless chicken for this recipe, a mix of breast and thigh goes well with the gravy, but skinless bone-in thighs and drums can be used, you will need to adjust the cooking time to make sure they are cooked through.
- Mutton, lamb, beef, or shrimp can be used as well, just adjust the cooking times accordingly. Beef or mutton will need to simmer much longer, while delicate shrimp or fish would be added near the end after the spinach.
- Tomatoes – fresh, canned, or a small amount of tomato paste. Tomato paste is a little quicker and melts into the smooth gravy nicely.
- Spinach – I always use finely chopped fresh baby spinach. It’s tender, easy to work with, and breaks down nicely. You can also use standard spinach or frozen. While some people like to blanch and blend the spinach before simmering, it’s an extra step you don’t need if you chop it finely first you still get a nice albeit rustic gravy.
What to serve with Chicken Saag
Like many Indian curries, chicken saag pairs well with rice, or low carb cauliflower rice, and any flatbread. If you are looking for something with a little more flavour to make this a low carb meal, try one of these low carb bhajis or sabzi recipes:
Reheating, Leftovers, and Meal prep
This is an excellent make ahead low carb meal prep. The flavours just get better the longer it sits. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat in the microwave until warmed through, or in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Looking for more Low Carb Meal Prep Ideas?
Recipe Card
One Pot Indian Chicken Saag
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Equipment
- Knife and Cutting Board
- large pot, Dutch oven, or sauce pan
Ingredients
- 4-5 tablespoons oil/butter/ghee plus more as needed
- 3 whole cardamom pods green or black
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon corriandar powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 lb boneless chicken bite sized pieces
- 4 cups chopped spinach packed
- ½ cup chopped cilantro plus more to garnish
- water as needed
- 1 teaspoon salt approximately, use as needed
Instructions
- Fry onions, garlic, and aromatics - Add the oil/butter/ghee to a large deep pot over medium heat. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and cloves along with the finely chopped onion. Sprinkle with salt and fry for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion just begins to brown and turns translucent.4-5 tablespoons oil/butter/ghee, 3 whole cardamom pods, 3 whole cloves, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 small onion
- Sauté the garlic and ginger - Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pot. use extra oil/butter/ghee if the pot appears dry, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the garlic has just started to brown.3-4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger
- Temper the spices - Add 1/2 tsp of salt, garam masala, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and black pepper to the pot. Fry while stirring for 45-60 seconds, do not let them burn. Immediately stir in the tomato paste and if needed a splash of water to prevent burning.1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon corriandar, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt
- Brown the chicken - Add oil/butter/ghee if the pot is dry and add the boneless chicken. Cook stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and starting to brown.2 lb boneless chicken
- Add the spinach and cook until tender - Add the chopped spinach, cilantro 1/2 tsp of salt and enough water to form the gravy, approximately 1 cup, adjust as needed. Stir occasionally until the spinach and cooked down and become tender. Continue to simmer until the gravy has reduced to your liking.4 cups chopped spinach, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, water, 1 teaspoon salt
- Rest, Garnish, and Serve - Adjust the seasoning to taste and remove from the heat to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, and chopped hot chilies if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated using the recipe calculator and verified database available from Cronometer. Although every reasonable effort is made to provide accurate information this estimate is provided as courteously and convenience only. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Try the free recipe calculator at Cronometer
Enjoy!
