Ingredients
· 1 pound 2 ounces
spinach leaves, stemmed and well washed
· 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
· 3 black cardamom pods*
· 2 bay leaves
· 1 (2-inch) piece cinnamon
· 3 to 4 green chili's, pricked with a knife
· 1 large onion, chopped
· 1 (3/4-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and
chopped
· 11 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
· 3 large tomatoes, cut into quarters
· 1 pound 4 ounces
chicken pieces, (drumsticks and thighs), skin removed
· 2 teaspoons ground coriander
· 1 1/2 teaspoons garam
masala
· Kosher salt
· 4 tablespoons plain
yogurt, stirred
· Freshly ground black pepper
· Basmati rice, cooked according to package instructions, to
serve
· *Can be found at specialty Asian markets.
·
Directions
This is a garlicky and
incredibly smooth spinach and chicken curry
Cook's Note: Instead
of pureeing all of the spinach, you can add half the quantity of spinach whole and the rest as
puree. Once the whole spinach has wilted in the pan, serve.
In a food processor, blend
the spinach to a puree using 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to loosen the mixture,
transfer the spinach to a bowl, and set aside. Clean the food processor.
Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the cardamom pods, bay leaves, and cinnamon, and fry for 20 to 30 seconds. Add the green chili's, and
onion, and continue to fry
for 4 to 5 minutes, or until caramelized.
Meanwhile, blend the ginger,
garlic,
and tomatoes to a smooth paste in the food processor.
When the onions
have caramelized, add the paste, chicken pieces, coriander, and garam masala to the pan, and stir well, to combine. Season the mixture with
salt, to taste, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the yogurt,
stir well, and continue to simmer
the mixture until the sauce
has thickened and almost dried out.
Stir in the spinach puree and continue to simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until
the chicken has cooked through. Season the mixture, with salt, and freshly
ground black pepper, to taste, then serve with rice.