Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice
White-wine chicken curry, wilted spinach and herbs, over stock-cooked rice
Ingredients
- 600 g Chicken thighs
- 120 g Basmati rice
- 550 ml Chicken stock
- 2 Onion
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 15 g Ginger
- 2 tsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 120 g Spinach
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Green chili (optional)
- 1 tsp Butter (optional)
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika (optional)
- ½ tsp Ground coriander (optional)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
- 180 ml White wine (optional)
- 90 g Greek yogurt (optional)
- 1 Lemon (optional)
- 2 tbsp Dill (optional)
- 2 tbsp Parsley (optional)
- 1 tbsp Mint (optional)
- ½ tsp Black pepper (optional)
Method
- Season the chicken generously with salt and black pepper, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic and finely chop the onion to set aside for the rice.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter and soften the reserved onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the rinsed rice, stir for a minute, then pour in the chicken stock. Cover and simmer until the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. If you have a rice cooker, combine all these ingredients in it instead and let it run.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high. Brown the chicken for 3-4 minutes — it needn't be cooked through — then lift it onto a plate.
- While the chicken browns, finely slice the onion, mince the garlic, grate the ginger and finely chop the green chili.
- In the same pan, cook the sliced onion for 4-5 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
- Add the garlic, ginger and green chili and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the turmeric, smoked paprika, cumin and coriander and cook for 30 seconds to bloom, then stir in the Dijon mustard.
- Pour in the white wine and simmer for 4 minutes, reducing it by about half.
- Add the chicken stock and return the chicken to the pan. Simmer gently for 8 minutes.
- While the curry simmers, roughly chop the dill, parsley and mint. (optional)
- Lower the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt so it doesn't split. Add the zest of the lemon and the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the spinach wilts.
- Off the heat, stir in the dill, parsley, mint and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper or more lemon, and serve over the rice.
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About Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice
Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice is an Indian lunch or dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes and serves 3.
Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice: frequently asked questions
Is Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice an authentic Indian curry?
Not in the traditional sense — it borrows Indian aromatics (turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic and green chili) but the sauce is built on white wine, Dijon and Greek yogurt rather than the tomato-and-onion or coconut base of classic Indian curries, and it is finished with fresh dill, parsley and mint. Think of it as an Indian-spiced weeknight chicken curry with a European backbone, not a regional dish you would find by this name in India.
Why is the rice cooked in chicken stock?
Cooking the basmati in chicken stock — with a little reserved onion and garlic softened in butter first — seasons the grains all the way through, so the rice tastes of the dish rather than being a plain side. If you have a rice cooker you can just combine the rinsed rice, stock, butter and reserved aromatics in it and let it run while you make the curry.
Can I make it without the white wine?
Yes. The wine adds acidity and depth as it reduces, but you can replace it with the same amount of chicken stock and a squeeze of extra lemon at the end to bring back the brightness. The dish still works — it is just a little rounder and less tangy.
Why Greek yogurt instead of cream, and how do I keep it from splitting?
Greek yogurt gives the sauce a lighter body and a gentle tang that suits the herbs, with far less saturated fat than cream. Because yogurt curdles at a boil, lower the heat before you stir it in and don't let the curry return to a hard simmer afterwards. For a richer, more forgiving finish, swap in about 80 ml of cream off the heat instead.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes, though thighs are recommended — they stay juicy through the browning and the eight-minute simmer, while breast can dry out. If you use breast, cut it a touch larger, brown it a little less, and give it a shorter simmer so it just cooks through.
How many calories are in Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice?
A serving has about 840 calories — 47g protein, 57.6g carbs, 41.7g fat, 4.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 47g of protein, roughly 22% of its calories.
Is Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Butter. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out green chili, butter, smoked paprika — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Spinach & Chicken Curry with Rice make?
This recipe makes 3 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.