Chicken Saak (Chicken Curry)
Something about this chicken saak screams comfort food to me. It reminds me of the saak my Nanima used to make when I was growing up. It took me a few years to get this one just right. I tried many versions of recipes (including my Mom’s) and I couldn’t replicate the taste of my Nanima’s. This one comes the closest by far!
Don’t let this curry intimidate you! Lots of ingredients, but most are spices and this cooks in one pot. Nothing fancy to do other than stir and watch it cook!
Pro tip - I make this most often with drumsticks as my kids love them. You can use any chicken pieces you like though. If you aren’t a fan of chicken pieces, use boneless chicken breast and cut it up into 1 inch cubes.
Make my delicious basmati rice recipe to serve with this saak.
This method is tried and tested so no more undercooked rice, or sticky overcooked rice anymore!
And look out for the secret ingredient!
Recipe for Chicken Saak:
Ingredients Needed:
3 tablespoons of oil
1/2 large onion diced
2 green chilis (serrano or similar)
2 medium sized potatoes peeled and cut into 1/4's (try to make the pieces about 1 ½-2 inch sections. If they are too big, they will not cook)
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5oz size)
3-4 tablespoons tomato puree or sauce
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 - 1 ½ teaspoons coriander powder
1 - 1 ½ teaspoons cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Cayenne powder to taste
5 drum sticks (skinless) or 1/2 a chicken cut into pieces or you can use boneless chicken breast also
About 2 cups hot water
A few handfuls of chopped fresh cilantro plus more to garnish
1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice or to taste
For serving - basmati rice, naan or rotli, toasted bread, green chutney
Servings Made: 3-4 servings
Time to Prep: 10-15 minutes
Time to Cook: 35-40 minutes
How to Make:
Heat oil in a large pot on the stove over medium high heat. Add 2 green chilis and diced onion and stir well. You can slice the chili peppers up to give it a kick.
Add potatoes to pot and cook until onions have browned which usually takes about 6-7 minutes. You may need to stir frequently so the potatoes don’t stick to the pot. Add diced tomatoes and tomato puree into pot once onions have browned.
Add salt to taste. I usually add about a teaspoon, but you can always add more later on. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric and cayenne powder (if using). Stir to combine. Allow this to cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently.
Break apart the tomatoes with the back of a spoon as you stir. Add chicken pieces, then gradually add about 2 cups of hot water and 2-3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro.
Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until chicken and potatoes cooked through. Taste and add more salt and cayenne powder if needed. The liquid in the curry will slowly reduce, so you can add more water now if you want.
Turn off heat when chicken cooked through (you can use a meat thermometer to check for doneness) and potatoes soft (try sticking a fork inside, it should enter the potato easily but not mush up the potato).
Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala powder. Stir well and top with a small handful of fresh chopped cilantro.
Serve with rice, rotli or naan.
Enjoy!
Watch a super fast 30 second video of me making this dish step by step!
It really is that easy to make!
