Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Chicken Kale Saag


Kale got me keenly interested for all its health assets.After all one can never get enough of greens.Copious serving like such in this saag is healthful as well as toothsome.

Did you know that besides being rich in Vitamins A,C and K,dietary Fiber,Kale is also a very good source of Calcium?,good news for those with milk allergies.A cup of kale supplies 93.6 mg of calcium (9.4% of the daily value for this mineral) for only 36.4 calories.
Recipe : Chicken Kale Saag

Saag is a cherished green side dish of North Indian cuisine.Spinach is common tender green in saag ,often paired with bitter mustard greens,the hearty kale is an equally healthy accomplish for a green in the saag.I like the saag little more runny than thick,add less water for a more thicker gravy.
As for the meat not just chicken,the saag is good with lamb or turkey.Or make the saag all vegan, with plant protein like soy nuggets or firm tofu.
Ingredients
2 lb Free-range skinless chicken with bones,cut in medium pieces[vegans could use soy nuggets or firm tofu,reduce the cooking time]
5-6 medium Kale leaves,rinsed and roughly chopped
1/2 a medium onion ,chopped
2 cloves garlic,minced
1/2 inch ginger root ,minced
1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powder(or poultry seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method
Trim any excess white fat from chicken. Freeze the chicken for an hour before trimming that can help remove the fat. Clean meat of any blood,by running it through cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Mix with turmeric and keep aside for few minutes.This helps kill any bacteria on meat.

Heat oil in a skillet on medium high ,saute onions until lightly brown. Then add the minced garlic and ginger,saute another minute before adding rest of the dry spices. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes on medium low heat until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile puree the kale in a heavy duty grinder(ordinary blenders may not yield good results)with 1 cup(or less) of water until smooth.Add to the simmering chicken ,cook another 8-10 minutes until flavor fuse .Serve warm with rice or bread.


Kale belongs to Cruciferous family of vegetables,in focus for Health Nut Challenge 5.Please find the details of the challenge here.

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