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A healthier and simplified version of the famous chicken saag, this easy spinach chicken curry will definitely satisfy your curry cravings.

HEALTHY CHICKEN SAAG

Tender chicken pieces in a creamy spinach sauce with lots of spices, this is a healthier version of the Indian chicken saag recipe, full of taste but with only half the calories.

And did I mention how quickly you can cook this spinach and chicken curry?

Chicken saag used to be one of my favorite dishes to order in an Indian restaurant. I say “used to be” because Indian restaurants are scarce around here, so I don’t get to visit one more than once or twice a year.

I love chicken and I love spinach and the combination of the two in that creamy sauce is a dream!

I started making chicken saag at home a long time ago, a classic Indian recipes, using tons of spices and tons of heavy cream and sour cream. Incredibly delicious! But incredibly full of calories as well.

I am not shy when using heavy cream, I use it often enough, but mostly I prefer to use it for cakes. For every day cooking, I would rather cook slimmer recipes, not something involving so much fat.

SPINACH CHICKEN CURRY

This is how this recipe for a healthier chicken saag or spinach chicken curry evolved.

First, I started using chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs, then I reduced the number of spices, leaving out those that are rather hard to get and then I replaced the cream with milk and a little cream cheese to help with the consistency of the sauce.

The result is a low-fat chicken saag, that tastes incredibly good, is spicy and creamy, yet still helps you keep your waistline.

INGREDIENTS FOR SPINACH CHICKEN CURRY

Spices:

Ground ginger
Ground sweet paprika
Curry powder – check how hot your curry powder is before adding it to the mixture and use accordingly. The curry powder I have is pretty mild.
Garam masala – this spice mixture is pretty easy to get in larger supermarkets. If not, you could make your own mixture.
Chili flakes – use according to taste.

Chicken:

As mentioned above, to make this chicken saag recipe leaner, I use boneless skinless chicken breast instead of chicken thighs.

Tomato paste:

Thick tomato paste from a can or a tube, not tomato sauce or tomato puree.

Spinach:

I use frozen spinach most of the times, but fresh spinach can be used instead.
If using fresh spinach, two large handfuls should be OK. Only add fresh spinach during the last 2 minutes of the cooking time and let it wilt in the pan.

HOW TO MAKE SPINACH CHICKEN CURRY?

Mix together all the spices in a small bowl. Set aside. It is preferable to mix the spices before you start cooking, so that you will not waste a lot of time searching for the spices and measuring them while the onions and the garlic are in the pan.
Let the spinach defrost partially while you prepare the rest, it doesn’t need to be fully thawed.
If using fresh spinach wash it and let it drain in a sieve.
Chop the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Finely chop the onion. Finely chop the garlic. Keep all these ingredients separated as they all have different cooking times.
Heat the oil in a skillet or a non-stick pan. Cook the onion on medium low heat for about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute.
Add the spices and stir for another minute.

Add the chicken and the tomato paste. Stir well to coat the chicken with the tomato paste and the spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
In the meantime, chop the tomatoes in small cubes. Add them to the skillet together with the milk, vegetable stock and cream cheese. Stir well until the cream cheese is incorporated.
Add the frozen spinach as well.
If using fresh spinach only add it during the last 2 minutes of the cooking time.
Cover the pan leaving a crack open and cook for 5-7 minutes until the spinach is fully thawed, the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened.
Adjust the taste, if necessary.
Serve with rice.