Roast chicken, spiced spinach and yoghurt
I really love saag aloo and I often crave it, so I created this simple and delicious one-pan dinner inspired by those flavours. This is not at all like an authentic saag aloo, it’s my own version. You can use any spices you have in the cupboard here. I’ve also made this with chicken thighs by frying them skin-side down for 5–10 minutes until golden and crisp, then roasting in the oven for 25–35 minutes until cooked through. Then continue as instructed.
This recipe is an extract from Make More With Less: Foolproof Recipes to Make Your Food Go Further by Kitty Coles (Hardie Grant).
Next, why not try more chicken recipes from the House & Garden recipe archive?
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
To serve
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 240°C fan (475°F).
Step 2
Season the chicken all over with salt, then set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Place the chicken into an ovenproof frying pan (skillet), low-sided casserole dish (Dutch oven) or cast-iron pan. Pour the oil over the chicken and massage it in with your hands. The oil will give the chicken a little kickstart in the oven, so give it some love and attention and get the oil into every nook and cranny to achieve maximum crispness.
Step 4
Roast in the oven, legs at the back, for 30 minutes. After this time, reduce the heat to 180°C fan (400°F), then rotate the chicken and roast for a further 10–25 minutes until golden and crisp all over and the juices from the leg run clear. (If you have a meat thermometer, you’re aiming for 70°C/158°F at the base of the breast.)
Step 5
Remove the pan from the oven, then lift out the chicken and set aside on a plate to rest.
Step 6
Put the pan back over a medium heat and add the onions with a pinch of salt, tossing them in the chicken fat in the pan. Very slowly fry the onions for 10–15 minutes, stirring every so often until they are very, very soft and caramelised. If they start to fry too quickly, just turn down the heat and add a splash of water. Add the cumin, mustard seeds, turmeric, chilli flakes, ginger and garlic and fry for a further 5 minutes.
Step 7
Add the spinach a handful at a time, mixing it into the onions as you go and letting it wilt with each batch. Let this cook down for a further 4–5 minutes until the spinach has soaked up all the flavours. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add a few grinds of black pepper, then taste.
Step 8
Lay the chicken back on top of the spinach and serve to the table with the yoghurt and chilli.
