Palak Paneer (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

Palak paneer is an Indian gluten-free curry made with spinach, and paneer cooked in spices. It is a very famous north Indian or Punjabi dish and is popularly served in Indian restaurants around the world.

It is extremely simple to make this easy palak paneer recipe using fresh spinach in an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot or on the stovetop. For my vegan friends, I make it by substituting paneer with tofu.

Palak paneer is a healthy low-carb Indian curry that is quick to make in about 30 minutes on busy weeknights. This authentic palak paneer recipe can serve 4-6 people. It can be made at home ahead of time and stored in the fridge or in the freezer for meal planning. It is best served with Indian bread like roti, paratha, naan, or puri.

Ingredients

Spinach paneer curry preparation requires very few pantry ingredients and Indian spices to make at home. Fresh spinach or baby spinach works best, however, you can use frozen spinach too. This palak paneer recipe is made with no cream.

Homemade paneer or store-bought paneer can be used, just cut it into cubes of the desired size. I like to make homemade paneer and use it to make this curry. If you want to make it vegan, use extra firm tofu instead.

For the gravy, some tomatoes, onions, serrano peppers, and ginger garlic paste are needed. Since the gravy is blended into a puree, you can chop onion and tomatoes into large chunks and save a few minutes of your time :). Palak paneer can also be made without onions and garlic.

Basic Indian spices like cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chili powder, and optionally some dried fenugreek leaves are added for flavor. Adding some lime juice preserves the nice bright color of spinach and prevents it from oxidation.

Instant Pot instructions

Palak paneer can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop following very easy steps. It is very quick to make palak paneer in the Instant Pot and effortless too as there is no need to monitor it while cooking!

To make palak paneer in the Instant Pot in an easy way, turn on the saute mode and then add oil once it is hot. Then add ginger-garlic and saute them for a few seconds. Add the onions and saute them until they are translucent.

Add the tomatoes, serrano pepper, and all the powdered spices, and give it a good mix. Once the tomatoes are mushy, add some water and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a spatula. Since spinach releases water as it cooks, only a little water is added, as palak paneer can become runny.

Add rinsed fresh spinach and close and lock the lid. Turn the pressure release knob to the sealing position and pressure cook on high-pressure mode for 3 minutes.

Once done, perform a quick release by moving the pressure release knob to the venting position, allowing the steam to escape and the silver pin drops.

Use an immersion blender to blend the spinach gravy into a creamy texture puree. Add garam masala, and crushed fenugreek powder, and adjust the spiciness as per taste. Also, squeeze some lemon juice to preserve the green color of the spinach.

Add cubes of paneer and mix it. Sometimes my family prefers fried paneer, then I fry it or shallow fry it in a pan by drizzling some oil and add it to the curry.

Stove top instructions

Palak paneer can also be made on the stovetop in a large pot. First saute ginger, garlic, and onions in oil on medium heat. Then add and cook the tomatoes and spices until tomatoes are mushy. Add the spinach and water and give it a mix.

Cover the pot and cook it for about 10 minutes and then blend the curry into a smooth puree. Add the paneer pieces and kasoori methi leaves for flavor.

Substitutions

Palak paneer is a gluten-free curry. It can easily be adapted to your taste.

Vegan - use extra firm tofu if you want to make vegan palak paneer.

Spicy - add some more serrano pepper, red chili powder, or garam masala to make palak paneer spicy.

Spinach - fresh spinach, baby spinach, or frozen spinach can be used.

Variations

A few variations can be made to this delicious palak paneer.

Saag paneer - substitute half of the spinach with other leafy greens like mustard greens, collard greens, and fenugreek leaves to make saag paneer.

Fried paneer - if you prefer fried paneer, you can fry it or shallow fry it in a pan by drizzling some oil and then adding it to the curry.

Jain diet - To make palak paneer with no onion and no garlic, or make it suitable for the Jain diet, skip the onions, ginger, and garlic and adjust the spices as per taste. Add about 10-12 soaked cashews for a thicker consistency.

You may also like other Indian paneer recipes like matar paneer and paneer butter masala.

Serving suggestions

Palak paneer's best combination is when served with Indian bread like roti, puri, paratha, and naan. It can also be served with plain basmati rice or other rice dishes like cumin rice, pulao, mushroom pulao, or quinoa pilaf.

Equipment

This palak paneer recipe is easy to make in an electric pressure cooker. I have used the 6 qt. Instant Pot. It can also be made on the stovetop in a large pot.

The gravy is very smooth and you will need an immersion hand blender or a standalone blender like Vitamix to blend it into a fine consistency.

A stainless steel spatula comes in handy to mix all the ingredients and also to deglaze the bottom of the pot.

Storage

Leftover palak paneer can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Palak paneer works well for meal planning and can be made ahead of time. When you are ready to eat, simply reheat the curry in the microwave, on the stovetop, or on the saute mode in the Instant Pot.

It can also be frozen for about three months. Allow the palak paneer to cool down completely and then portion it and store it in freezer-safe air-tight containers in the freezer. When you are ready to eat, simply defrost and reheat it in the microwave.

Sometimes I also freeze the spinach curry without adding paneer and add it after defrosting and heating it up.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like

• Instant Pot paneer
• Matar paneer
• Mumbai pav bhaji
• Rajma masala
• Black chickpeas curry
• Instant Pot Indian vegetarian recipes
• Paneer methi malai matar

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