Spinach Chicken gravy

Delicious Spinach Chicken gravy

Ingredients:  

Skinless chicken curry cut – 1/2 kg

Onion – medium sized, peeled and diced 

Garlic – peeled, 6 big cloves 

Ginger – small, peeled and diced 

Ginger/ garlic paste – 1 tbsp 

Green chillies – 2/3 sliced 

Young hard shelled coconut – small piece, diced 

Groundnuts/ Peanuts – Roasted, 1 ounce (15 – 20 medium sized) 

Curry leaves – fresh, 1/2 sprig 

Spinach leaves – fresh small bunch, cut into small pieces 

Pepper corns – 1tsp 

Cumin seeds/ Jeera – 1 tbsp 

Green cardamom – 1.5 

Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp 

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp 

Cloves – 3 

Cinnamon stick – small piece 

Curd/ Yogurt – small cup 

Lemon – 1/2 slice 

Bay leaf - 2 

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Chillie powder – 1 tbsp 

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp 

Kasuri methi/ dried fenugreek leaves – 1 tsp 

Rock salt – as per taste 

Oil – as per your need 

Blender for grinding spices 

Instructions: 

        Wash the chicken properly to clear out any blood, dirt. 

Marination: 

      Add 1/2 tbsp of coriander powder, 1/2 tbsp chillie powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, curd/ yogurt to the chicken, squeeze the lemon juice (1/2 slice) and add a pinch of rock salt. Mix well and marinate to 1 hour so that all the spices blend well into the meat. 

Grinding spices: 

       Add onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli (1), coconut, groundnuts/ peanuts, pepper corns, green cardamom,fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick into a blender with some water and grind into a fine paste. 

Procedure:  

      Take a kadai/thick bottomed pan. Add some oil and heat it. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds/jeera. When jeera starts to sizzle, add curry leaves, sliced chillie and bay leaf. Stir the mixture and add the ground spice paste, spinach leaves and keep stirring occasionally. Once the spices start releasing oil on the surface it means that the masala/spice mix has cooked well. Now, add the marinated chicken and mix well. Simmer/ reduce the flame and add the remaining coriander powder, chillie powder, turmeric, salt and stir well. Taste the mixture and adjust the spices/salt if required. Add some water, mix well and close the lid. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes in medium flame. Add crushed kasuri methi/ dried fenugreek leaves, stir and cook for another minute or 2. Once done (you can see a small layer of oil on the surface of the masala) the bones will be separating from the flesh. Switch off the flame and scoop out to the dish. Enjoy the yummilicious spinach chicken!