Palak Paneer is a creamy Indian spinach curry made with fresh spinach, paneer, onion, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and warm spices like cumin, garam masala, and turmeric. It’s quick and works well for a low carb vegetarian weeknight dinner, since it can be ready start to finish in about 20 minutes. Unlike traditional palak paneer recipes that require extra steps like blanching and separately building the sauce, this version is a simple pour and cook method that you finish by pureeing right in the pot with an immersion blender.
Why This Indian Recipe Is So Good
- Pour and Cook- dump everything in and cook. Finish by pureeing with an immersion blender.
- Low Carb- Only 8 net carbs per serving.
- Vegetarian- a delicious meatless option.
- Fast- Ready start to finish in 20 minutes.
I have instructions for how to make this in the Instant Pot as well as a slow cooker, so feel free to make it whichever way you prefer.
What Is Paneer?
Paneer is a fresh cheese common in Indian cuisine. It is a non-melting cheese made by curdling milk with an acid, like lemon juice. You can even make homemade paneer.
What Is The Difference Between Saag Paneer and Palak Paneer?
Saag. It's not some exotic, hard to find ingredient. Believe it or not, saag simply means a mixture of spinach and collard greens.
However, for this saag recipe, I used only spinach. This makes it more of a Palak Paneer recipe instead of a Saag Paneer recipe.
Ingredients You'll Need
- 2 teaspoons Oil- Used to sauté the aromatics and spices, helping them release their flavors and form the flavorful base of the dish.
- 5 cloves Garlic- Adds pungent, savory depth and enhances the earthy flavor of spinach. Garlic is essential to the signature taste of palak paneer.
- 1 tablespoon Ginger- Provides warmth and zest with a slightly peppery bite, balancing the richness of paneer and the bitterness of spinach.
- 1/2 Jalapeño Pepper, chopped – Brings gentle heat and freshness to the curry. Adjusting the amount allows control over the spice level.
- 1 Onion- Adds sweetness and body to the curry, helping to balance the stronger flavors of spinach and spices.
- 1 pound Fresh Spinach- The star of the dish. Spinach is cooked down into a smooth, creamy sauce that defines palak paneer’s flavor and texture.
- 2 Tomatoes- Provide acidity and tang, brightening the dish and balancing the richness of paneer and earthy spinach.
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin- Adds a warm, earthy, slightly nutty flavor that deepens the base of the curry.
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper- Contributes heat and a slight smokiness, balancing the creaminess of the spinach and paneer.
- 2 teaspoons Garam Masala- A key Indian spice blend that adds complexity and aromatic depth, tying all the flavors together.
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric- Brings color and a subtle earthiness, as well as mild bitterness that complements the greens.
- 1 teaspoon Salt- Enhances all the flavors and ensures the curry is well-seasoned.
- 1/2 cup Water- Provides liquid for pressure cooking, softening the spinach and helping to blend everything into a smooth sauce.
- 1.5 cups Paneer- Cubes of soft Indian cheese that add creaminess, protein, and mild flavor. Paneer absorbs the spices from the sauce and makes the dish hearty and satisfying.
How To Make Palak Paneer
Pressure Cooker Instructions
- Set pot to sauté and when hot, put in the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, put in the garlic and ginger and chili, and sauté for a bit.
- Dump all ingredients except paneer together and set to high pressure for 4 mins.
- When done, use an immersion blender and mush everything up into either a very smooth puree, or leave some bits un-chopped. You'll probably have to tilt the pot a little to get your blender to work.
- Gently mix in the paneer and serve
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Cook on high for 3 hours. Push the spinach down once so all gets moist.
- When done, use an immersion blender and mush everything up into either a very smooth puree, or leave some bits un-chopped
- Gently mix in the paneer and serve
Tips And Tricks
- Now, in this recipe, you can either buy ready-made paneer at the Indian grocery store, or better still, you can make your own paneer at home by following my very simple, fail-proof homemade paneer recipe.
- You can use either fresh or frozen spinach for this. If you're using frozen, just break up the blocks of spinach a little.
- You can also mix up greens for this, such as adding swiss chard, collard greens, or mustard greens. This would make it a saag paneer since Palak means spinach. It's actually very tasty that way.
- There's really only one additional step that you might consider adding, which is to sauté the ginger and garlic, and chili in oil to get the oil richly flavored.
Variations
Instant Pot Palak Paneer is a versatile dish that can be easily adapted to suit different tastes, diets, and flavor preferences. Here are some delicious variations you can try:
- Vegan- Replace paneer with firm tofu and use coconut cream or cashew cream instead of dairy for a rich, plant-based version.
- Palak Mushroom- Swap paneer for mushrooms to create an earthy, hearty variation that’s still packed with flavor.
- Spicy- Add extra jalapeños, green chilies, or a pinch more cayenne pepper for a fiery kick.
What To Serve With It
Palak Paneer is a rich and creamy dish, so it pairs best with sides that balance its flavors and soak up the delicious spinach sauce. Here are some excellent ideas for what to serve alongside it:
- Basmati Rice- The classic choice, letting the flavors of palak paneer shine.
- Naan- Soft, pillowy naan is perfect for scooping up the spinach gravy and paneer.
- Cauliflower Rice- A low-carb alternative that still absorbs the flavorful sauce.
- Chana Dal Fry- Another delicious Indian-inspired dish to serve as a sampling platter
How Long Does It Last?
Palak Paneer, when stored properly, can last for several days and still taste delicious. Once cooked, allow it to cool to room temperature and then transfer it to an airtight container.
In the refrigerator, it will keep well for about 3 to 4 days, with the flavors often becoming deeper as the spices meld together.
Can You Freeze Palak Paneer?
Yes, this recipe actually freezes quite well. Just make sure that you're freezing it in small batches as opposed to one big container. That way, it will reheat faster the next time you find yourself wanting some.
Instant Pot palak paneer often turns brown because the spinach was cooked too long, overheated during pressure cooking or reheating, or blended while very hot and then simmered, which dulls the chlorophyll and shifts the color from bright green to olive brown.
For a brighter Instant Pot spinach curry, keep the cook time short, puree right after cooking, avoid prolonged simmering, and add cream at the end on low heat.
To stop Instant Pot palak paneer from tasting bitter, avoid overcooking the spinach because long heat is the most common cause of bitter Instant Pot spinach curry.
Use baby spinach or fresh frozen spinach, cook it briefly, puree as soon as it is done, and do not simmer it for long after blending.
Balance any remaining bitterness by adding a little cream or butter, a pinch of sugar-free sweetener, or a small spoon of sautéed onions, and finish with kasuri methi and a squeeze of lemon only at the end so the flavor stays bright without turning harsh.
If your Instant Pot palak paneer puree is gritty, it usually needs a finer blend and better prep. Use an immersion blender longer or transfer the cooked spinach curry to a high speed blender, then blend until completely silky and add a splash of water or cream if it is too thick to circulate.
For an even smoother Instant Pot spinach curry, sauté the onions until very soft before pressure cooking, use baby spinach or thawed frozen spinach, and strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve if you want restaurant style palak paneer texture.
To thicken Instant Pot palak paneer fast, switch to sauté and simmer uncovered for a few minutes after pureeing so excess water evaporates, which is especially helpful if you used frozen spinach.
If it still feels thin, blend in a few more cooked onions or a small handful of cashews, or stir in a spoonful of heavy cream at the end for a richer, thicker Instant Pot spinach curry.
Avoid adding flour or cornstarch if you want a low carb palak paneer, and add paneer after the sauce is thickened so the cubes stay soft.
More Perfect Paneer Recipes
- Make some restaurant-quality Indian peas and paneer or Matar Paneer in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
- Make this low carb quick Paneer Tikka with just a few spices, and pan-fry in ghee for a boost of fat to make this keto-friendly.
- This fantastic and supremely easy Instant Pot Vegetarian Paneer Biryani is an easy, authentic, kid-friendly, vegetarian dinner that is done in under 30 minutes.
- You'll love how easy this Chicken Saag is to make.
So next time you get the craving for some Palak Paneer or Saag Paneer, save yourself the unnecessary extra time and effort and follow this delicious recipe! Make sure to let me know if you enjoyed this recipe in the comments!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) Oil
- 5 cloves (5 cloves) Garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Ginger, chopped
- 1/2 (0.5) Jalapeño Peppers, chopped
- 1 (1) Onion, chopped
- 1 pounds (453.59 g) fresh spinach
- 2 (2) Tomatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) Ground Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper, (adjust as needed)
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) Water
- 1.5 cup (337.5 g) paneer
Instructions
Pressure Cooker
- Set pot to sauté and when hot, put in the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, put in the garlic and ginger and chili, and sauté for a bit.
- Dump all ingredients except paneer together and set to high pressure for 4 mins.
- When done, use as immersion blender and mush everything up into either a very smooth puree, or leave some bits un-chopped. You'll probably have to tilt the pot a little to get your blender to work.
- Gently mix in the paneer and serve
Slow Cooker
- Cook on high for 3 hours. Push the spinach down once so all gets moist.
- When done, use as immersion blender and mush everything up into either a very smooth puree, or leave some bits un-chopped
- Gently mix in the paneer and serve
- Now in this recipe, you can either buy ready-made paneer at the Indian grocery store, or better still, you can make your own paneer at home by following my very simple, fail-proof homemade paneer recipe.
- You can use either fresh or frozen spinach for this. If you're using frozen, just break up the blocks of spinach a little.
- You can also mix up greens for this such as adding swiss chard, collard greens, or mustard greens. This would make it more of a saag paneer since Palak means spinach. It's actually very tasty that way.
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Nutrition
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Indian Instant Pot, Keto Instant Pot, Instant Pot Fast and Easy, Healthy Instant Pot & Vegetarian Instant Pot.
AshleyThompson
This may not be the prettiest dish on the planet, but it sure is delicious. One of my favorite vegetarian dinners.
Dan
Can I use frozen spinach in this recipe?
Abbeydove
I'm really not sure what happened. I followed the instructions closely, but this just wasn't flavorful. It was kind of soupy, too. I wonder if my spinach was just very watery?
javmax.cc
Hmmm is anyyone else haviung prooblems withh the picture on this blog
loading? I'm trying to figure out if itss a problem onn myy end orr
if it's the blog. Anyy fesedback would bbe greeatly appreciated.
Jason
Of the three Saag recipes here this looked the most like the version I prefer at restaurants, so I tried making a lamb version today.
I used 10oz of frozen spinach because that's what we had.
I used a can of diced tomatoes, similarly.
I did not add water.
I added boneless butterflied lamb in large chunks and cooked for 10 minutes instead of 4.
I removed the lamb with tongs before immersion blending, and cut it into bite-sized pieces before adding it back in.
It came out great!
Emily
I make this recipe often and I love it. I recently purchased an air fryer and used fried tofu instead of paneer. The recipe is excellent either way.
Bridget
I have made this recipe multiple times now, and I'm still amazed at how good it easy, especially for being so easy. Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
Heather
So, I know my comment is going to be a little long and a little off-topic, but this recipe inspired this, so I hope it's okay. 🙂
I got an Instant Pot several years ago but was kind of afraid of it. I did hard-boiled eggs and rice, which turned out okay, and then I tried spaghetti and meatballs and it failed and I decided the IP was just going to be an expensive rice cooker.
And then quarantine hit us, and my husband sort of wistfully mentioned how he missed Pakistani food (he worked in Lahore for a year). I decided to try your Butter Chicken recipe that everyone raves about, and we were just stunned at how good it was. I happened to have your IP Indian cookbook because I'd bought it on one of those days Amazon was selling it for $1.99. So I tried the Vindaloo, the Punjabi Chicken Curry, the Punjabi Lobia...each dish was amazing, and we kept not being able to decide which was best. I worked my way through most of the IP Indian Cookbook, and then I bought a bunch of your other books and I'm working my way through them now, too. 🙂
Eventually I even used the IP to make dishes that are not by you, but I keep coming back to your dishes. One of the wonderful things about the Indian dishes is that all the ingredients can be kept in the freezer or the cabinet - it's perfect for quarantine! Tomatoes, spices, UHT cream and rice in the cabinet; fresh ginger, garlic and onion; chicken thighs in the freezer; a few types of dried beans.
So, your books have totally transformed the way I cook. I've always enjoyed cooking, but then quarantine kind of sucked some of the joy out of it, and I had to plan very carefully since we were reducing our shopping trips, so I felt like I couldn't be "spontaneous." Now, with your IP recipes, it's fun again, there's not much clean-up, we have everything on hand so I have several dishes I can choose from depending on my mood, and we don't have to worry that we can't order pizza during lockdown, because dinner is never more than thirty minutes away.
All of which is to say - I made the Palak Paneer tonight and I think it's actually my new favorite. :). My husband liked it so much he actually couldn't speak for a few minutes. But I may have a new favorite when I try your lobster bisque next week (it's going to be our anniversary dinner!).
Jane Ormrod
OH my, this was so easy and so good. Unlike all of the Saag Panners that I buy for take-out, this one actually smelled like fresh spinach!
I think that I should run to the store and buy another block of paneer, though, because the 340 g. recommended in this recipe seems a bit skimpy.
Otherwise, this is sooooo perfect! AND so easy.