Daily Maverick published a cooking column by Tony Jackman that details the preparation of a chicken and saag curry. The article describes a culinary approach where two distinct curries are prepared separately and then combined into a single dish. Jackman noted that the spinach used in the recipe had been planted two months prior and was overgrown, prompting the decision to cook it into a curry. The publication explains that in Indian and Punjabi cuisine, the term saag refers to various greens, including spinach, chard, mustard greens, or collard greens, which are used in tandem with a protein to form a meal. While collard greens are part of the brassica family alongside kale and broccoli, the report notes they are not widely used in South Africa, though they resemble spinach and chard.

The recipe provided in the column calls for eight deboned, skinless chicken thighs, along with ground cardamom, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and chilli powder. The preparation involves melting coconut oil in a heavy pot, adding a cinnamon stick and the ground spices, and then incorporating chopped onion and garlic. After simmering these aromatics, the chicken thighs are added and coated in the mixture. Coconut cream and optional sliced red chillies are stirred in, and the dish is seasoned with salt. The chicken is then simmered with the lid on for approximately ten minutes on low heat to ensure it cooks through, while basmati rice is prepared separately.

Simultaneously, the spinach is washed, drained, and shredded. In a separate heavy pot, butter is melted, and turmeric, cumin seeds, chilli, and garlic are cooked gently for two minutes to flavour the butter. Ground cumin, coriander, and salt are stirred in, followed by the shredded spinach. The greens are stirred to ensure they are coated with the buttery spices, then covered and simmered for ten minutes. The final step involves adding the prepared saag curry to the pot containing the chicken curry and folding it through. The dish is served with basmati rice and can be garnished with chopped coriander leaves, which are optional as the spinach provides green colouring. Jackman’s column concludes with a note to follow his Instagram account for more culinary content.