CREAMY Instant Pot Palak Paneer

Instant Pot Palak Paneer-  Make your favorite Indian take-out dish right at home! Coziest, most comforting, luscious Palak paneer or saag paneer . It is best served with Indian flatbreads- naan, roti or paratha or rice.

TASTE: The gravy is buttery and delicious and flavorful from the spinach, onions and tomatoes
TEXTURE: Smooth & silky.
EASE: Very Easy!
APPEARANCE: It's usually bright green in color.
PROS: A great Indian vegetarian dish,thats uber healthy! Serve it when you are hosting freinds and family or as a simple weeknight dinner.
Diet : Vegetarian, Keto. Can be easily made Vegan & Dairy Free.

Palak paneer is one of those dishes that's uber healthy but decadent at the same time!

In my house, this curry is an easy way to feed everyone spinach.My rule..most of the times is one green leafy veggie a day.

So I am always knee deep in water, cleaning green leaves..Okay I am kidding..I make this so often that I have finally figured out the most fool proof way of washing the greens at home.

In my mind, that's the biggest, most difficult part of this dish.So if you are in a part of the world that has already washed spinach, grab it!

Speaking of paneer, you must try my Instant Pot Paneer Butter Masala (Makhani) & Instant Pot Matar Paneer too!

Jump to:

• What is Instant Pot Palak Paneer
• My Secret to the best Palak Paneer
• Is Saag Paneer and Palak Paneer Same
• Ingredients for Palak Paneer
• How to make Palak Paneer in Instant Pot
• Variations & Substitutes
• Serving Palak Paneer
• Leftovers, Refrigerating & Freezing
• Indian Instant Pot Recipes that you will love
• Instant Pot Saag Paneer
• Substitutes
• Vegan Palak Paneer
• Secrets to the best palak paneer

What is Instant Pot Palak Paneer

Palak paneer is a Punjabi curry made in almost every Indian house, especially during winter months when the spinach and other fresh greens are in season.

It's best served with rotis and parathas.Though my grandfather loved this with peas pulav.

This is the shortcut way of making palak Paneer in the instant pot. This recipe is a life savior for busy moms like me. If you are looking for a way to make this palak paneer on stove top, check out my Dhaba Style Palak Paneer. It's more decadent than this everyday palak paneer.

We make this curry in the instant pot using two tricks- 0 minute pressure cooking for vibrant green color & the whole curry is done in less than 20 minutes.

My Secret to the best Palak Paneer

Before you dive into the recipe, I am going to share my most secret tricks and tips to make palak paneer.

• Wash the spinach in a salad spinner. Or use a colander and a larger pot. Immerse the spinach in water, move it around and then remove the colander, leaving the dirty water below. Do this at least 3 times. This is the only best way to clean spinach!
• If you get farm fresh spinach ,always cut off the roots as soon as you get it home. Roots have the most amount of soil stuck to it. Wrap it in a newspaper and keep in the fridge. It should last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
• Wring most of the water out of the spinach before cooking.
• Use a gravy thickener like cashews, cream or flour. This will make the curry less watery and more luscious.
• The best shortcut- Use prewashed Spinach!
• Barely cook the spinach to get the light green hue.
• Soak the paneer in warm water with a teaspoon of vinegar to make it soft.
• To store paneer, immerse it in water with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Store closed for upto 7-8 days. It will stay soft!

The above will hold true for any kind of spinach based curry or puree.

Also! I always always make the base of palak paneer and freeze half of it for later.

Is Saag Paneer and Palak Paneer Same

Technically no.Though , often, it's used interchangeably.

When you use only Spinach leaves , the curry is called Palak Paneer.

When you use a combination of spinach, methi, bathua etc then it's called Saag Paneer.

There is another variant of this called Saag which is made by combination of spinach, bathua and Mustard Greens which is called Sarson ka Saag, served with hot corn flatbreads called Makki ki Roti.

Ingredients for Palak Paneer

Here is what you will need to make this curry.I will also give you plenty of swaps so that you can make this curry where ever you are in the world.

• Spinach
• Paneer- Indian cottage cheese
• Cashew
• Onion
• Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Ground Chili
• Ground Coriander
• Dry Fenugreek(optional)
• Cream(optional)
• Green Chili(optional)

Spinach

You can use regular large leafed spinach, baby spinach or frozen spinach.

A combination of spinach, fenugreek leaves, chard and any other green leaves would also work. Except, it will be called saag paneer instead.

As I have explained in my secrets to the best Palak paneer, it is essential you wash the spinach well. Especially if you have got a bunch with roots on. I always use a salad spinner to do this.

Once I have washed it a couple of times, I also spin and dry the leaves. This takes off the excess water which would otherwise make the gravy too thin.

Also remember one thing- fresh spinach will wilt to almost one tenth the size. So it might seem a lot but its really not.

Paneer

Paneer is an Indian firm cheese that can be cut. It does not melt. It has a very similar texture that of firm tofu.

If you want to make vegan Palak paneer, I suggest you substitute paneer with tofu. It works very well and 90% of people wont know the difference. I have a post which goes into detail of paneer substitutes depending on the part of the world you are in. Do check it out. You will be surprised how some local cheeses are actually same as paneer.

I like to cut the paneer into cubes. Sometimes, if the paneer is uber fresh, I like to cut it into thin triangles too. Also if you love paneer curries, do give my Instant Pot Paneer Butter Masala a try. It's a vegetarian version of butter chicken.

Cashews

This ingredient is a slight change from the traditional recipe. It gives the spinach gravy a heft and thickness.

Traditionally heavy cream or malai is used. Cashew is not only a great vegan dairy free substitute but it's also makes the curry thicker with lesser calories.

Also, sometimes I don't have heavy cream on hand or just don't want to open a whole carton to use for an everyday curry.

Spices

Most of the spices listed are everyday pantry ingredients in Indian households.

If you don't want to stock indian spices, you can use curry powder instead of separate spices.

Dried Fenugreek leaves or kasoori methi is a secret indian ingredients which instantly lifts any dish.It's the indian umami. If you are using curry powder, then chances are, its in the curry powder already so you can skip it.

Rest of the ingredients are quite simple.

You can use fresh or canned tomatoes. Tomato puree will also work instead of fresh tomatoes.

Any kind of onions will work- white, yellow or red.

How to make Palak Paneer in Instant Pot

Step 1: Prep

Cut the roots, woody ends of the spinach.

Wash the spinach multiple times till its clean and the water runs clear. Use a large pot and colander or a salad spinner. Immerse the spinach in water multiple times.

Make sure this step is done well.'You don't want muddy palak paneer. If you are using pre washed spinach, you can skip the washing.

Cut the onions and tomatoes into rough chunks. You will anyways puree it later.

Cut paneer into chunks and refresh it in hot water with a teaspoon of vinegar.This will soften the paneer.

Step 2 - The onion Tomato Base

Start on the SAUTE mode.Once the pot is hot, add oil.Add the cumin and let it splutter- this releases the cumin flavour in the oil.Add Onions, garlic and ginger and cook till translucent about 2-3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, cashews and spices- coriander, chilli powder and turmeric.

Step 3- Pressure Cook the Spinach

Add the spinach, close the lid and switch to PRESSURE COOK mode for 0 minutes at HIGH pressure.

Spinach doesn't need to be cooked too much.In fact, the more you cook it, the more dark the gravy and ironish the taste.

Step 4- Blend the Sauce

Using a stick blender or a normal blender, blend it into a silky gravy.Add it back to the instant pot.

If you don't have a stick blender and you are using a blender, be careful of pureeing hot food. Make sure you let it cool for a bit before you blend it.

Also, be sure to get the sides and cashew bits.

Step 5- Add Paneer and Cream

Add the paneer and give it a mix.Do not cook further.

Garnish with heavy cream and serve hot.

Variations & Substitutes

Vegan Palak Paneer- Substitute paneer with firm tofu and fresh cream with cashew cream for a vegan,dairy free version of palak paneer.

Gluten Free Palak Paneer- Palak paneer is gluten free naturally.Serve it with rice to complete the meal.

High Protein/Healthier Palak Paneer- Substitute the paneer with Tofu and skip the cream to make this instant pot saag paneer healthier.

Serving Palak Paneer

Palak paneer is served hot with a drizzle of cream on top.

Some folks go the extra mile and add a tempering of ghee, cumin, garlic , ginger and ground chili on top as well. It sure does give it a delicious smoky taste.

Palak paneer is an all rounder. So you can serve it to guests and make it for everyday lunch or dinner too.

For a simple lunch or dinner - I serve this with rotis or parathas.My husband is a rice eater, so he usually gets it along with peas pulav or soft basmati rice.

For an elaborate get together or a dinner where I want to impress- I would serve this with hot naans or kulchas. In addition to this, I usually add my favorite decadent Dal Makhani and maybe a kofta or a vegetable dry fry like bhindi or air fryer spicy cauliflower.

Leftovers, Refrigerating & Freezing

Palak paneer will last for 4-5 days in the refrigerator depending on how fresh your paneer was. Be sure to check the expiry date on your package before throwing it away.

You will know the curry is a goner when the paneer smells sour and slimy.

Because everyone loves palak paneer plus it's uber healthy, I usually double the recipe and freeze the curry without the paneer. Just stop at the last step before mixing in the paneer and freeze the gravy in a zip lock bag or a freezer safe container.

Slow Thaw it over night or immerse the bag in warm water to thaw. Bring it to simmer, add the paneer and enjoy!

Leftovers - Often i have only the palak gravy left after everyone has picked off the paneer from it.

I use the leftover gravy to make dough for rotis and parathas. I mean you can't let perfectly cooked nutrient dense spinach go to waste right?

I also make sandwiches with palak paneer. Don't be shocked. Wait till you try it!

Indian Instant Pot Recipes that you will love

If you love indian food, you should try the recipes below!

Instant Pot Rajma - Kidney beans in a sauce made with onion and tomatoes. My favourite!
Instant Pot Paneer Butter Masala - Vegetarian, easily made vegan tomato based paneer curry
Instant Pot Matar Paneer - Peas and paneer in a onion tomato gravy
Instant Pot Saag - Punjabi seasonal curry made with mustard greens
Instant Pot Dal Makhani - The most decadent dal ever! Perfect with naans
Instant Pot Butter Chicken - Better than any restaurant butter chicken!

If you make this palak paneer, I would love to know your thoughts! Also! Do rate the recipe in the card below.

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