Keema Palak (Ground Chicken and Spinach Curry) 

By Zainab Shah

Updated July 2, 2025

  • Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(1,306)
Comments
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This comforting ground-chicken dish is layered with typical Desi spices: cumin, chile powder and garam masala. Finished with tender baby spinach, it has all the makings of a satisfying one-pot meal. In most keema (or ground-meat) curries from the Indian subcontinent, onions and meat are sautéed separately in two steps, but this recipe calls for cooking them together, along with ginger and garlic, a shortcut that saves time without sacrificing flavor. Spices and tomatoes follow, and a hefty amount of quick-cooking baby spinach is added toward the end, adding a mild earthiness that balances the bold spices. A splash of lemon juice adds freshness and brings everything together. Serve it with rice or roti for an easy, flavorful meal that comes together in about a half hour.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings  

  • ¼ cup ghee or neutral oil 

  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 1 pound ground chicken

  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger

  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder, or other ground red chile powder

  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 3 Thai green chiles, chopped

  • 2 medium plum tomatoes, finely chopped

  • 1 pound baby spinach

  • ¾ teaspoon garam masala

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional) 

  • Basmati rice or roti, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 to 4 servings)

17 grams carbs; 98 milligrams cholesterol; 364 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 24 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 766 milligrams sodium; 25 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium (9-inch) pot or wok, warm the ghee over high heat until melted, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the onion, chicken, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook over high heat, breaking apart the meat into smaller pieces, until the onion turns translucent and some chicken pieces start to crisp, about 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Reduce the heat to medium, then mix in the cumin seeds, chile powder, turmeric and green chiles. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to break down, about 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the spinach in four batches, stirring in each batch and cooking until it wilts to make space for the next, about 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has softened slightly but still retains some texture, about 7 minutes more. Turn off the heat and finish with garam masala and lemon juice (if desired). Serve with rice or roti.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,306 user ratings
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Comments

Mark

So great and so easy! Recommend bumping up the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and garam masala ever so slightly. (This is not a dish that's meant to be knock-your-socks-off spicy.) Also, lime juice at the end works wonders. The note on saving time (cooking the onions and meat together) is helpful, but if you do have a bit of time, start with the onion and cumin seeds before adding the meat and other ingredients. It's a homey and satisfying dish that's going into the rotation!

Shiv R

The recipe is missing key aromatics that need to go in at the tempering stage - I.e., when the oil is hot and before the onions are put in. A few cloves, whole green cardomom, half inch cinnamon stick and perhaps a bay leaf will punch this up dramatically. Adding a tsp of either whole or ground fennel seeds would take this in a slightly southern direction. As would some whole or ground black peppercorns.

Linda F

I cooked this and overall it was just ok. All the spinach seemed to dilute the flavors a bit. If I made it again I would double the chile powder, cumin seeds, and turmeric for more flavor. The spiciness from the thai chili peppers was just right for me, so would not add more of that.

Nik

Replaced chili powder with curry powder and doubled all spices and aromatics. Used regular spinach chopped up baby-size (including stems) to no ill effects. Forgot the lemon juice but this was delicious. Thanks NYT for another flexible and easy recipe.

Seattle Mama

This was delicious! I cooked everything together and upped the spices a little and added a can of chickpeas and had 0 regrets!

Almost Perfect

I used 8oz of spinach and it was plenty and balanced.

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