Hairy Bikers chicken and spinach curry is a low-calorie saag made with diced chicken thighs, 500g of spinach and tempered whole spices. It serves 4 at just 200 calories each and takes about 45 minutes from start to finish.
This comes from The Hairy Dieters: Simple Healthy Food, where Si and Dave note chicken is lower in calories than lamb for a saag. They use just 1 teaspoon of oil for the whole dish. The headnote includes a tip about pairing spinach with lemon juice.
The base is built properly despite the short ingredient list. Si and Dave blitz onion, garlic and ginger into a purée, then fry it with mustard and cumin seeds popped in hot oil. That tempering step gives the curry depth that curry powder alone can’t match.
Hairy Bikers Chicken and Spinach Curry
Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes30
minutes200
kcal45
minutesA proper saag curry at just 200 calories per serving, from The Hairy Dieters: Simple Healthy Food. Yoghurt stirred in at the end and lemon juice added before serving for vitamin C, which Si and Dave note helps your body absorb the iron from the spinach.
Ingredients
1 large onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
15g root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp coconut oil, ghee or vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp tomato purée
4 skinless chicken thigh fillets, diced
200ml chicken stock or water
500g frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
100g plain yoghurt
juice of ½ lemon
sea salt and black pepper
Directions
- Make the paste: Put the onion, garlic cloves and ginger into a food processor and whizz to form a purée.
- Temper the spices: Heat the oil in a large saucepan or a flameproof casserole dish. Add the mustard and cumin seeds, then fry them until they pop.
- Fry the base: Stir in the curry powder for a minute, then add the onion purée and continue to fry for a few minutes until the mixture is very aromatic and reduced. Stir in the tomato purée and continue to cook, stirring constantly until everything is well combined and the tomato purée has lost its raw edge. Add the diced chicken and stir until it’s all well coated in the spicy purée.
- Simmer: Pour in the stock or water and stir to make sure the base of the pan is thoroughly deglazed, then stir in the spinach and most of the coriander. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chicken is completely cooked through and tender, and the sauce has reduced a little.
- Finish: Stir in the yoghurt and leave to simmer for a couple of minutes, being careful not to let the mixture boil. Add the lemon juice before serving and garnish with the reserved coriander.
Notes
- Full nutrition per serving: 200 kcal · 24g protein · 9g carbs · 7g sugar · 6g fat · 2g saturated fat · 6g fibre · 0.8g salt
FAQs
Why use chicken thighs instead of breast?
Thigh meat holds up much better during the 15-minute simmer without going dry or stringy. Si and Dave specify skinless thigh fillets, which have more flavour than breast and stay tender in the sauce. They’re also cheaper, which matters for a midweek curry.
Breast would overcook at the edges by the time the centre is done, especially in a wet curry like this. Thighs are more forgiving because they have slightly more fat running through them, though they’re still lean enough to keep this under 200 calories.
Why add lemon juice at the end?
Si and Dave’s headnote explains that spinach is rich in iron, but your body needs vitamin C to absorb it properly. The lemon juice provides that vitamin C, so adding it just before serving means you get the full nutritional benefit.
It also lifts the whole dish. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the heavy, earthy flavour of the spinach and cuts through the richness of the yoghurt. Don’t add it during cooking or the heat destroys the vitamin C, which defeats the purpose.
Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen?
You can, but you’ll need about 1kg of fresh leaves to match the 500g frozen that Si and Dave call for. Fresh spinach wilts down dramatically, losing up to 90% of its volume. The frozen stuff is already blanched and chopped, which saves time and money.
If you do use fresh, wash it well, remove any tough stalks and add it in large handfuls. Push each batch into the sauce until it wilts before adding more. The Hairy Bikers mushroom pasta bake uses 100g of baby spinach in a similar way if you want to compare the technique.
Why not let the yoghurt boil?
Plain yoghurt splits when it boils, turning grainy and leaving white lumps through the sauce instead of a smooth, creamy finish. Si and Dave specifically warn to simmer gently for a couple of minutes after adding it.
Stir it in off the heat, then return the pan to a very low flame. If you’re nervous about splitting, temper the yoghurt first by stirring a spoonful of hot sauce into it before adding it to the pan. This brings it up to temperature gradually and almost eliminates the risk.
Can I make this dairy-free?
Swap the plain yoghurt for coconut yoghurt and use the coconut oil option that Si and Dave already list. The coconut yoghurt adds creaminess without dairy and keeps the calorie count similar.
Skip the ghee since it’s clarified butter and choose coconut oil instead. The curry will taste slightly different but still works well. The lemon juice, spinach and spice base carry most of the flavour regardless of which fat or yoghurt you use.
How do I store leftover curry?
Cool it quickly and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This reheats well on the hob over a medium heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened overnight. The spices taste even deeper on day two.
It freezes for up to 3 months in individual portions. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat until piping hot. The yoghurt can go slightly grainy after freezing, so stir it well and add a fresh squeeze of lemon when reheating to bring it back.
