- 3 beetroot
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- A thumb of ginger
- A thumb of turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 large handfuls of baby leaf spinach
- A pack of skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 6 tbsp cold water
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 250ml boiling water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Food processor (optional)
- A couple of deep frying pans or woks with lids
- 1.
Pop the onion in a deep frying pan or wok with 2 tbsp cold water. Season. Gently cook over a low heat for 5-6 mins till soft. Stir often. If it looks like it’s going to catch and burn, add a bit more water.
- 2.
Stir the garlic, ginger and turmeric into the onion. Add 1 tsp of the garam masala. Cook and stir for 1 min till the pan smells aromatic.
- 3.
Add the spinach to the pan with 150ml boiling water. Cook and stir for 5 mins till it has wilted. Tip it into the processor. Blitz a few times to make a thick sauce. If you don’t have a processor, cut the spinach finely before you cook it.
- 4.
Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make four thin flat steaks. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan you made the spinach sauce in (wipe it clean first). Add the chicken. Fry for 3-4 mins. Flip and fry for another 3-4 mins.
- 5.
Add the spinach sauce to the chicken with 100 ml boiling water. Keep the heat medium low and gently cook the sauce and chicken together for 5 mins till the chicken is cooked through. Take off the heat. Cover. Set aside.
- 6.
Measure out 2 tsp of the cumin seeds. Warm the cumin seeds in a deep frying pan or wok for 1-2 mins till the seeds pop and smell fragrant.
- 7.
Add the beetroot to the cumin seeds with 4 tbsp cold water and salt and pepper. Cook and stir over a medium heat for 5-8 mins till the beetroot is warmed through but still has plenty of bite. Serve the chicken saag with the beetroot rice.
- 8.
Scrub the beetroot and roughly chop them – no need to peel. Pop them in a food processor. Pulse till you have fine ‘rice’ grains. Tip the beetroot into a bowl. Wipe the processor clean. No processor? Just coarsely grate the beetroot. Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric.