Science-backed recipe

Palak Chicken: Green, Garlicky and High-Protein

Also called Saag Chicken · Chicken Palak · पालक चिकन · پالک چکن

Lunch & dinner Instant Pot

Chicken pressure-cooked in a spiced onion-tomato masala, then folded into a bright green spinach puree at the end.

From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished November 7, 2026

Active: 45 min
Prep: 15 min
Total: 45 min
Serves: 4

Jump to recipe Read the science

Palak chicken in bright green spinach gravy with roti

Why this recipe works

✓
Pressure-cooked chicken8 minutes.
✓
Green, not khakiSpinach goes in after.
✓
High proteinChicken thighs.
✓
The Indian baseIn order.

What is palak chicken?

Palak chicken (saag chicken) is chicken in a spinach gravy, made across Punjab on both sides of the border.

Meet the ingredients

The main ingredients, with their English, Hindi and Urdu names.

Spinach (palak)

पालकپالک

pālak

Fresh spinach, washed well.

Its job: Color, iron and earthy flavor.

Chicken

चिकनچکن

chikan

Boneless or bone-in thighs.

Its job: The protein.

Grow it yourself: Tomatoes, Green chilies, Methi (fenugreek), Garlic, Ginger

The lab notes

The science behind every step

Restaurant cooks do these things by habit. Here’s what each step is actually doing to the food, so you can cook by understanding instead of guesswork.

Lab note01

Blanch and shock for green palak

Blanch spinach 1–2 minutes, then plunge into ice water.

Brief heat drives out air so the leaves turn bright green; long cooking and acid convert chlorophyll to olive-brown pheophytin. The ice bath stops the cooking.

Lab note02

The Indian base order

Cumin, then onions, ginger-garlic, salt and powdered spices, tomatoes, and garam masala last.

Each step cooks in the order its flavor needs: whole cumin blooms in hot fat, onions brown and sweeten, ginger-garlic loses its raw edge, ground spices toast for seconds without burning, tomatoes cook down until the oil separates, and garam masala goes in last so its aroma survives.

Lab note03

Pressure cook first, palak after

Cook the chicken, then add spinach on Sauté.

Pressure-cooking spinach for 8 minutes would turn it brown; adding it afterward keeps it green.

Technique, step by step

How to peel tomatoes, the food-science way

Score, blanch for 30–60 seconds, chill in ice water, and the skins slip right off. Peeled tomatoes cook into a smoother, silkier masala with no chewy flecks of skin.

1. ScoreCut a shallow X through the skin on the bottom of each tomato.
2. BlanchLower the tomatoes into rolling boiling water (a saucepan, or the Instant Pot on Sauté, More/High) for 30–60 seconds, just until the skin at the X starts to split.
3. ChillLift them straight into a bowl of ice water for about 1 minute.
4. PeelStarting at the X, slip the skins off with your fingers. Cut out the core, then chop or blend.

Why peel at all?

Tomato skin is a tough, waxy layer that doesn’t break down with cooking; in a long-cooked masala it curls into chewy flecks. The skin is also where almost all of a tomato’s flavonoids sit, mainly naringenin chalcone and rutin, the kind of plant compounds that can taste faintly bitter or astringent. Texture is the bigger, better-proven reason, but peeled tomatoes give the smoothest, cleanest-tasting gravy.

Why the boiling water works

A short plunge heats only the outer layer. The heat weakens the pectin that glues the skin to the flesh, and steam forming underneath pushes the skin away, so it splits and curls back at the X while the flesh inside stays raw and firm.

Why the ice bath

Ice water stops the cooking at once, so the flesh doesn’t turn soft and mushy, and makes the tomatoes cool enough to peel right away. More than about a minute in the boiling water starts to cook the flesh.

Sources: National Center for Home Food Preservation: Put It Up! Boiling Water Canning · Muir et al., Nature Biotechnology (2001): flavonoids in tomato peel

How to make it, at a glance

Blanch and shockBlanch the spinach 1–2 minutes, plunge into ice water, drain and blend with the chilies and ginger.
Indian baseSelect Sauté. Heat the ghee, add the cumin, then the onion until golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste for 1 minute, then the salt, chili and turmeric for 30 seconds, then the tomato until the oil separates.
Pressure cookAdd the chicken and ⅓ cup water, scraping the bottom. Pressure cook on High for 8 minutes; quick release after 5 minutes.
Add palakSelect Sauté (Less), stir in the spinach puree and simmer 3–4 minutes; check the chicken reaches 165°F.
FinishTurn off the heat and stir in the garam masala, kasuri methi, cream and lemon.

Exact amounts and timings are in the recipe card below.

Health & nutrition

Health benefits, honestly rated

High protein with leafy greens.

Macros per serving High protein

Calories390

Protein39 g

Carbs10 g

Fat22 g

Fiber5 g

Sodium680 mg

10.0 g protein per 100 calories. Estimated from the ingredients with USDA FoodData Central values.

Gym-friendly tip: Already high in protein. For a leaner plate, serve with salad and roti instead of rice, and use skinless thighs or breast.

Well established

High-quality protein

Chicken thighs supply complete protein.

Some evidence

Iron with vitamin C

Spinach iron is the non-heme kind; lemon’s vitamin C helps the body absorb it.

Keep in mind

Very high in vitamin K; keep intake consistent if you take warfarin.
Cook chicken to 165°F.

General nutrition information, not medical advice. Numbers marked “estimated” are calculated from the recipe’s ingredients and vary with brands and portions. If you have diabetes, heart or kidney disease, a food allergy, or are pregnant, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian how this dish fits your diet.

Health sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron · NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C

See the full ingredient health guide: benefits, traditional roots and the science →

Questions, answered

Can I use chicken breast?

Yes; pressure cook 6 minutes.

About MedRise Food Science

Desi restaurant favorites, recreated at home and explained with food science: every recipe is tested in a home kitchen and comes with the why behind each step.