Spicy Chicken in Mixed Greens

Spicy Chicken in Mixed Greens

Friends who really, really know me are going to balk at the fact that I'm posting yet another recipe that contains green leafy vegetables. They know I’m a hardcore carnivore but this is one recipe where I couldn't get enough of the leafy vegetables. For once, chicken took second place. I have to admit though, the chicken did infuse superb flavor to the leafy vegetables. The soft leafy vegetables with melted butter does not make for very good photographs but, as for flavor, take it from a carnivore (moi), it was classic!! The final combination and taste was absolutely mind blowing! Go for it!!

Ingredients:

900 grams chicken, cut into pieces
Juice of 1 lime
1 bunch fenugreek leaves, coarsely chopped
1 bunches spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 bunch Indian Green Sorrel leaves, coarsely chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander, coarsely chopped
8 spring onions, chopped
2 onions, finely sliced
5 green chilies, finely chopped
2 fresh red chilies, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, halve and grate, discard skin
½ inch cinnamon
1 tablespoon ginger/garlic paste
9 black pepper corns
1 bay leaf
a pinch of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red deghi mirch chili powder
3 tablespoons oil
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons melted butter

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken in salt, ginger garlic paste and lime juice for 1 hour. 
2. Heat oil in the pressure cooker. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, cinnamon, green chilies, red chilies, garlic and sliced onions, fry until brown. 
   
   
3. Add the grated tomato puree and fry until the oil separates. 
4. Add the turmeric powder, red deghi mirch chili powder and sauté for a few seconds. 
   
   
   
   
5. Add the chicken and sauté it till it gets a bit of color on it. 
6. Add the fenugreek leaves, spring onion leaves, spinach leaves, coriander leaves. 
   
   
   
   
7. Mix well, cover lightly with a lid and cook till the vegetables wilt. (Do NOT add any water as the leafy veggies and chicken will cook in the water they release.) Lock on the lid of the pressure cook and cook for one whistle. Then turn down the stove to low and cook for 5 more minutes and take the pressure cooker off the hob. 
8. When the cooker cools down, open it and dry up the extra water if any. 
9. Remove the chicken to a serving dish and pour the melted butter over it. Serve hot with rotis, paratha or naan.
   

Chef Notes:

1. The base recipe belongs to my friend Zarina Cama Clowsley.
2. Indian Green Sorrel leaves are also known as khatti palak or ambat chukka. 
3. The original recipe had dill leaves but when I think of dill the word that comes to mind is ‘urghh’. You get my drift, right? That’s why I replaced the ‘urghh’ ingredient with a ‘yumm’ ingredient and opted for Indian Green Sorrel leaves. 
4. I've also changed proportions of most ingredients from the original recipe and built it up to suit my tastes. 
5. The yellowish gravy you see on the sides of the serving dish in the pictures is not gravy, it is melted butter. Added at the end of the recipe it takes the dish to a new high so I would definitely advise you to add it. 
6. Adjust the consistency of the dish so that the leafy vegetables coat the chicken. Do not over dry it though.
7. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.