1. Home
  2. Meat & Fish
  3. Chicken
  4. Thighs
  5. Simmering

Garlicky spinach and chicken curry

Curries With Bumbi · ♥ 1.1K likes · 70.2K views · 10 min video

Read about thighs in the BrightCulinary Book

Garlicky spinach and chicken curry, from the video
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
▶ 0:00
  • water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • baby spinach
Bring a pot of water to a boil with about a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of baking soda.
Blanching the spinachBlanchingRead
▶ 0:40
  • chilled water
Blanch the spinach 30 to 40 seconds, then transfer immediately into cold chilled water to keep it dark green.
Shocking and blendingBlending
▶ 1:00
Squeeze out as much water as possible a handful at a time.
▶ 1:18
Pulse in a blender or food processor without water, adding a few tablespoons only if the blades stall; keep some texture, not a paste.
▶ 1:43
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp homemade ghee
Heat a pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of ghee.
Whole spices in oil and ghee
▶ 1:59
  • 1 whole dry bay leaf
  • 1 whole cinnamon stick
  • 4 whole green cardamoms
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
Add a dry bay leaf, a cinnamon stick and 4 green cardamoms, then a teaspoon of cumin seeds; let them sizzle 2 seconds.
▶ 2:35
  • onions
  • ½ tsp salt
Add the finely chopped onions and half a teaspoon of salt; fry on medium heat until light golden brown, going by eye rather than time.
Frying the onions goldenFryingRead
▶ 3:33
Add the grated ginger and garlic.
Searing the chickenGrating
▶ 3:33
  • ginger
  • garlic
  • boneless skinless chicken thighs
Add the chicken in a single layer on medium-high heat; leave a minute, stir, and lay out another minute to sear.
▶ 4:05
Stir from time to time until the released water dries up and the oil separates.
▶ 4:29
  • plain unflavored yogurt
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
Mix the room-temperature yogurt with turmeric, chili powder, ground coriander, ground cumin and black pepper until smooth.
Spiced yogurt
▶ 5:11
  • 2 tbsp water
Lower the heat as low as possible, add the yogurt mixture and the two tablespoons of rinsing water, and stir at once.
▶ 5:37
Raise to about medium and cook about five minutes.
Adding the spinach
▶ 5:37
  • cilantro
  • green chilies
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi
Add the spinach, chopped cilantro, green chilies, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of kasuri methi.
▶ 6:38
Stir frequently on medium-low until the spinach's water dries up; for a brighter green, cook the chicken fully first and add the spinach at the end.
▶ 7:15
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
Add a teaspoon each of garam masala and sugar.
Garam masala, gravy and simmering
▶ 7:44
  • 1 cup hot water
Add about a cup of hot water, cover and cook about 8 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
▶ 8:03
Add large pieces of tomato and a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice.
▶ 8:03
  • tomato
  • 1 tsp lemon or lime juice
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • garlic cloves
In a small pan, warm about a tablespoon of oil over medium-low, add garlic cloves and brown them gradually.
▶ 9:20
  • 4 whole dry red chilies
When the garlic is golden, add four whole dry red chilies to infuse the oil.
Garlic and red chili finishing oilInfusing
▶ 9:37
  • chili powder
  • 1 tsp crema
Off the heat, add a pinch of chili powder or sweet paprika and drizzle the garlic oil over the chicken; drizzle a teaspoon of crema.
Drizzling to finish