Chicken Saag - spinach and chicken curry

[Secret Santa]

Solarsplace, thanks for trying it.  I'm not sure what you mean by tang, to me it means something like that which would be imparted to a dish by the addition of lemon, for example. If so it shouldn't have any tang to it at all.

This should particularly not be the case if you also added the cream.

It could be that the 'tang' is in fact the asafoetida, if you're not used to it, but that usually imparts an onion/garlic type of flavour. And there's a good deal of difference in adding asafoetida in its natural resinous state (usually bought as a little rock) and the powders normally available which are quite heavily adulterated with other things like turmeric and thickening powders, so that might make a difference too.

So was the 'tang' pleasant or unpleasant?

BTW, if you use lamb you should replace the chicken stock cube with lamb stock cube (hopefully totally obvious, but I never explicitly mentioned it before).

[Ramirez]

Lovely pic Solar.

When I make this there is definitely no unpleasant tang, so not sure where things might be going awry for you. What spinach puree did you use?

[solarsplace]

Hi

@Secret Santa

Really pleased with the recipe and will certainly make it again. I think the slight taste that I was detecting was the Asafoetida. I'm not really used to it, and the container that I have (http://www.natco-online.com/acatalog/info_asafoetida.html) must be getting on a bit. I feel a bit of a hippocrit there as I would never let my other spices get that old - would be straight in the bin and replace with fresh even at 6 weeks usually (not that most live that long). Also looking at the ingredients in this it contains other fillers like you suggest. I will get some fresh Asafoetida in and try the recipe again. Do you have a link to the make / type that you recommend please?

@Ramirez

Many thanks for the kind words! - I gather you are a fan of this particular recipe too! and rightly so! - I think it was Natco pur

[curryhell]

Unfortunately the asafoetida of today isn't the brown grainy gritty stuff of old in the blue tubs .  What ever happened to that??  Why is todays spice nothing like what it used to be

[sildurvildurworld]

I've never had this in a BIR (!) but I enjoyed it, so if anyone tries it feedback would be welcome.

4 TBSP   oil (at least)
1 TBSP   G/G paste
1/2 tsp  asafoetida
quarter  onion sliced medium fine
2 tsp    tomato puree (watered down with 1TBSP water)
1 TBSP   methi
3 tsp    spice mix (Bruce Edward's, 8 coriander : 7 turmeric : 5 cumin : 4 curry powder)
1/2 tsp  garam masala
1 tsp    chilli powder
200g     pureed spinach
50g      chopped spinach
1/2      chicken stock cube
1/2 tsp  salt  (or to taste)
2 tsp    sugar (or to taste)
4 TBSP   evaporated milk or single cream
25g      butter
1        portion of pre-cooked chicken
enough pre heated base sauce for 1 portion + half as much more water (or as required, use your judgement)
1 TBSP   coriander leaf


Heat oil on high heat, add G/G paste and stir occasionally.
before the G/G paste browns add onion slices and cook on until G/g paste is done.
add asafoetida and stir for a few seconds.
add spices, methi, salt and sugar, and cook on until you get the toffee smell, then quickly add the tomato puree and stir for a few seconds until it thickens again.
Add a ladle of base and cook this down, stirring all the time, until it thickens.
Add the remainder of the base, the two types of spinach, the stock cube, and the pre cooked chicken. There should be a lot of liquid at this point because you want to boil this down on highish heat to concentrate the flavour.
When the sauce is nearly reduced to a single portion add the cream and coriander leaf and continue to cook at a slightly lower heat until you have it down to a single portion.
Turn the heat off and add the butter. Stir around until the butter is just incorporated into the sauce.
Serve sprinkled with roughly chopped coriander leaf.


I don't believe any of the ingredients (except perhaps the cream) are optional. I researched the authentic saag recipes and then made it BIR style.

I might have completely missed something here, but what is "base sauce"?. Is it the same curry base that's used for other stuff like Tikka Masala and Korma? Also, sorry for the necromancy 

[Secret Santa]

but what is "base sauce"?. Is it the same curry base that's used for other stuff like Tikka Masala and Korma? Also, sorry for the necromancy 

Yes it's curry gravy, curry base, base sauce, ghrabi etc., take your pick, it's all the same stuff.

What this necromancy reference...I ain't dead yet!  ;D 

[Peripatetic Phil]

What this necromancy reference...I ain't dead yet!  ;D

Tut tut, Santa : you're confusing necromancy with necrophilia methinks !  I think the real refererence is to "Sildur Vildur", which has, I think Wiccan connections and is one of the Names Not To Be Spoken, but of course I may be completely mistaken . . .

** Phil.

[RubyDoo]

Gave this a whirl yesterday in our attempt to try a few different things.

Turned out very tasty and although recipe seemed to be for one portion there was more than enough for two and we have some left in the fridge. My only real variation was using Precooked Chicken Tikka.

Pictures not that good I am afraid ( especially the last one where the colours are all wrong )and, yes, another CA Ceylon crept into the event. 

[curryhell]

Another saucy little number to drewel over .  Think i would have reduced the sauce a little more though.  I must make this one again real soon using the precooked Viceroy spinach 

[RubyDoo]

Another saucy little number to drewel over .  Think i would have reduced the sauce a little more though.  I must make this one again real soon using the precooked Viceroy spinach 

That sauce is much thicker than the pic suggests. Any thicker and it would need a knife.  . Think I will reduce the frozen spin a little and chop the fresh a bit finer next time. Just had nose in fridge. Yum. On my own tomorrow so, guess what is for dinner?.