Keema Palak (Ground Chicken and Spinach Curry) 

By Zainab Shah

Updated July 3, 2025

Keema Palak (Ground Chicken and Spinach Curry) 
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(726)
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  
  • ¼cup ghee or neutral oil 
  • 1medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1pound ground chicken
  • 1teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
  • 1teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
  • 1teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder, or other ground red chile powder
  • ¼teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 3Thai green chiles, chopped
  • 2medium plum tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1pound baby spinach
  • ¾teaspoon garam masala
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice (optional) 
  • Basmati rice or roti, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

364 calories; 24 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 766 milligrams sodium

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
726 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.

TS

Wow, that is a strange recipe for keema palak. Chicken? Barely cooked baby spinach? A more authentic rendition would have ground lamb and fully cooked (arguably overcooked) spinach. And to those asking..no, tofu wouldn't really work as a substitute for chicken. If you want to try a different protein, google a recipe for "chana palak," "dal palak," or "palak paneer."

SueP

Sounds like a lot of oil but is necessary to get chicken to brown - takes a while to cook off the liquid. Used 2 Serrano chilies instead of 3 Thai chiles - a little too hot for some family members. Next time use just one chili - and/or less chili powder (used 1 tsp paprika and 1/2-3/4 tsp ancho chili powder). Regular garden tomatoes instead of Romas - just needed to sieve some of the extra juice off before adding to pan. Used "Mexican spinach" - delicious! Served with whole wheat tortillas. Yum

Jolanta

I used more like a tablespoon of grated ginger, substantially more cumin seed, and a bit less garlic bc I'm not the biggest fan of it. I couldn't find my Kashmiri pepper so subbed in some West African ground pepper, which worked fine. Also used frozen spinach and cooked it in completely. And forgot the garam masala! Anyway the result was delicious, definitely going into rotation.

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