Palak gosht was cooked a lot in my mother’s household during
the winter season. I never liked what meat did to the spinach. While living in London, once I had
Palak chicken at one of the Pakistani restaurants and loved it. Later I tried my
own version at home and have not looked back ever since. My brother O who was
studying at University of Warwick during that time, became the guinea pig for
my cooking experiments.
My palak chicken not just got a high approval rating from
him but I also got a request to make some palak chicken for him to take along
to Warwick. For the year he was there, I used to make a stack of food for him
and freeze it which he would take along to eat for next 2 weeks. A quarter in
to the year, I started getting phone calls from his Pakistani and Indian class
mates with specific requests for food, followed by thank you phone calls.
I wasn't thrilled to find out that O’s flatmates were eating all of his home cooked food. My firsthand experience taught me that the one thing that you miss the most while living away from home is the home cooked food. I quietly doubled the food he took to Warwick. Things sisters do for little
brothers!!! Last night O called me from his office and asked me if I could make
some palak chicken for him. I am always happy
to fulfill such farmaish. We had it with boiled rice.
Here is the recipe.
Ingredients
Chicken – ½ kilo (6-8 pieces)
Fresh Spinach – 1 kilo (You can use frozen if fresh is
not available)
Tomatoes – 4 Medium sized (make a puree with 2 green
chilies)
Fresh Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp (heaped)
Mustard Seeds – 1 tbsp
Dried Whole Chilies - 4-5
Roasted Cumin seeds – 1 Tbsp (crushed)
Roasted Coriander seeds – 1 Tbsp (crushed)
Crushed Red Chilies -1 tsp (Adjust to taste)
Salt – 1 tsp (adjust to taste)
Oil : 6 Tbsp
Method:
- Wash the spinach and steam it in a large pan. Once steamed, puree it with the hand blender. Put aside.
- Heat the oil and add ginger garlic paste to it. Cook till its changes color.
- Add mustard seeds to it. Let it cook for a minute till you can smell them. Add the dried red chilies and cook for 10 secs. Add a dash of water to stop it from burning.
- Add cumin and coriander seeds. Cook for 30 sec.
- Add chicken and cook for 5 -7 mins till it completely changes color.
- Add tomatoes, salt and crushed chilies and cook till the water dries.
- Now add pureed spinach. Cook till the water dries and the oil comes out on the side.
