Palak Paneer Recipe (Instant Pot and Stovetop)

Palak Paneer is a popular North Indian dish made with soft paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cooked in a smooth creamy spinach gravy infused with spices. This flavorful Spinach and Paneer curry is vegetarian, gluten-free, healthy, and delicious. Serve it with paratha, naan, or with jeera rice. 

I am sharing how to make a restaurant-style Punjabi Palak Paneer recipe in the Instant Pot and Stovetop. 

Palak paneer is one of our favorite paneer recipes filled with the goodness of spinach (palak). It works perfectly as an everyday meal or even a special party dish.

This dhaba-style palak paneer is easy to make at home as a one-pot meal in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) or the traditional way on the stovetop. It's delicious, healthy and so nutritious!

If you love palak paneer as much as we do, you must try this palak paneer paratha, a lunchbox favorite!

Jump to:

• What is Palak Paneer?
• Palak Paneer Vs Saag Paneer
• Recipe Ingredients
• How To Make Instant Pot Palak Paneer (Stepwise Photos)
• How To Make Palak Paneer (Stovetop Method with Stepwise photos)
• Serving Suggestions 
• Storage Instructions
• Tips To Keep Palak Paneer Green
• Recipe Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions 
• More Spinach (Palak) recipes
• More Paneer Recipes
• Recipe Card

What is Palak Paneer?

Palak Paneer is a classic Punjabi dish from North Indian cuisine made with spinach and paneer.

Palak means spinach and paneer is Indian cottage cheese in Hindi. So Palak paneer is an Indian curry dish made with fresh spinach and Indian cottage cheese and flavored with aromatics and spices. It's smooth, slightly spicy and so delicious! 

Spinach Paneer is a healthy vegetarian dish traditionally made on a stovetop by blanching the spinach and then pureeing it.

This smooth puree is then cooked with onions, tomatoes, and spices to make a thick curry in which soft paneer pieces are simmered. 

Every home has its recipe for palak paneer and I learned mine from my mother-in-law.

It's one of those authentic Punjabi recipes perfect for everyday meals or parties with friends or family. Extremely flavorful and delicious!

I've adapted her recipe to make it in the Instant Pot as a one-pot meal.

The advantage of making it in the Instant Pot is, that you don't need to blanch the spinach separately before pureeing it (as in stovetop cooking).

I've shared both ways of making palak paneer recipe using Instant Pot and stovetop and it turns out delicious either way!

This spinach and paneer curry is creamy on its own so I usually skip the cream for my day-to-day cooking but you can add some if you like. I sometimes add it just for garnishing. 

This palak paneer recipe is better than at restaurants where they sometimes call it saag paneer.

Palak Paneer Vs Saag Paneer

Although palak paneer and saag paneer are used interchangeably they are not the same.

Palak means spinach whereas Saag usually refers to mixed leafy greens like mustard greens, radish greens, collard greens, fenugreek leaves, spinach, etc.

Palak paneer is the authentic Indian spinach dish whereas Saag paneer is more restaurant-created. Also, each green has its unique flavor so Saag taste varies based on the greens used.

Next time you see saag paneer on the restaurant menu, you know it is not just spinach but other greens mixed in. And once you make this homemade palak paneer, you will never order one at the restaurant.

Recipe Ingredients

Spinach - Use tender and fresh spinach leaves for this recipe. Discard any spoilt leaves or hard and fibrous stems. They tend to make the curry bitter. I prefer baby spinach (with tender stalks). You can also use frozen spinach.

Paneer - Use good quality fresh or frozen paneer for this recipe. I use frozen storebought paneer but you can also use homemade paneer. Soak frozen paneer in hot water until it's soft.

Ginger Garlic - Use freshly grated or minced ginger garlic for this recipe. Don't skip these as they add tons of flavor to the recipe

Green chili - I've used Thai green chili but you can also use jalapeno if you want to keep it mild or skip it completely if you dont like it spicy.

Onion and tomatoes - are the main veggies used for making palak paneer masala along with spices. I have used yellow onion and Roma tomatoes. 

Whole spices - You will need cumin seeds, and bay leaf (dried). 

Spices - you need just the basic ones used regularly in Indian cooking like salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and my Punjabi garam masala. You can also use regular garam masala. 

Herbs - I've used dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi) often used in Punjabi recipes for their unique flavor and taste, and last but not least cilantro for garnish. 

Lemon juice -  It helps balance all flavors and bring the dish together. You can use amchur (dry mango) powder instead or skip it if you don't like it tangy. 

In addition, you will need oil/ghee for cooking, sugar (optional), and cream for garnish (optional). 

Please refer to the recipe card for exact measurements of ingredients. 

How To Make Instant Pot Palak Paneer (Stepwise Photos)

If using frozen paneer, soak it in hot water until it's soft then cut into cubes. Keep the cubes in warm water until ready to add to the gravy to keep them soft. Skip the soaking if you are using fresh paneer. 

Rinse the spinach leaves and drain them thoroughly. If there is water left, it will make the gravy runny.

1 - Start the Instant Pot on saute mode. Heat oil and add the bay leaf and cumin seeds.

2 - When the seeds splutter add the onion and saute till they turn translucent. 

3 - Next, add ginger, garlic, and green chilies and saute till the raw garlic smell disappears for about a minute. 

4 - Add the tomatoes and saute for a couple of minutes.

5 - Next add spices- salt, turmeric, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, dry mango (amchur) powder, garam masala, and sugar (optional). Mix well and saute for a minute more.

6 - Deglaze with ¼-½ cup of water depending on how thick you like your gravy. Give it a quick stir to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom. Press cancel.

7 - Add the washed and drained palak leaves. These might feel like a lot but they shrink considerably.

8 - Close the Instant pot with the lid and vent in the sealing position. Pressure cook on manual or pressure cook at High pressure for "0" mins. (or 1 minute for frozen spinach). Once the instant pot beeps, wait for 5 minutes and then do a pressure release. 

9 - Open the lid, and transfer the inner pot (be careful it's hot) to a hot plate trivet. Remove the bay leaf, and with an immersion blender, blend it coarse or into a smooth gravy. I prefer coarse consistency and not smooth. You can also blend it in a blender.

10 and 11 - Transfer the inner pot back to the Instant Pot. Crush the dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi) between your palms and then add them to the gravy along with the soft paneer cubes and cilantro.

12 - Switch the instant pot back to Sauté mode, mix well, and cook for about 2 mins stirring intermittently. (Be careful as it splutters). I prefer thicker gravy but you can add water and adjust consistency if required.

Turn off the saute. Transfer the inner pot back to the hot plate trivet to prevent the curry from cooking further.

You can add cream too at this stage if needed. Easy Palak Paneer is ready!

How To Make Palak Paneer (Stovetop Method with Stepwise photos)

Prep work

If you are using frozen paneer, soak it in hot water until it's soft. then cut into cubes. Keep the cubes in warm water until ready to add to the gravy to keep them soft. Skip the soaking if you are using fresh paneer. 

1 and 2 - Rinse the spinach leaves and drain them completely. In a large pot, bring 2 -3 cups of water to a boil. Add the spinach leaves and cook until the leaves turn dark and shrink in size (approximately 2 mins).

3 - Drain completely and transfer to a bowl with ice-cold water. This will stop the spinach from cooking further and retain the green color. 

4 - Once the spinach has cooled, drain the water completely and transfer it to a blender along with green chili, salt, and sugar (optional but recommended). Blend to a smooth puree or coarse one as per preference. Add water only if needed for blending. I didn't use any. Keep aside. You can also make and freeze this for future use. 

For making palak paneer gravy

5 - Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat. Add the bay leaf and cumin seeds. 

6 - Once the seeds splutter add the onion and saute until translucent. 

7 - Next, add ginger garlic and saute till the raw garlic smell disappears and the onions are light brown.  Stir in the tomato and cook until the tomatoes are soft.

8 - Add the spices and saute for 1-2 mins. Ensure the masala doesn't burn and deglaze with water if needed. 

9 - Add in the soft paneer cubes and cook for 1-2 mins.

10 - Stir in the spinach puree and simmer for another 1-2 mins. 

11 - Crush the fenugreek leaves between your palms and then add them to the gravy along with lemon juice and cilantro. Mix well and cook for about a minute. Turn off the heat.

12 - At this stage, you can drizzle over some cream (optional). Best Palak paneer is ready.

Serving Suggestions 

You can serve Palak Paneer with naan, roti, paratha, or even with Basmati rice or jeera rice. Add Kahcumber salad to the side for a complete meal.

For that restaurant-style experience, add mango lassi too!

Storage Instructions

You can store leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze palak paneer in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bags for up to 2 months.

Reheat palak paneer curry in the microwave or on the stovetop until warm. Thaw frozen curry first before reheating.

Tips To Keep Palak Paneer Green

Spinach tends to change color (turn dark) when cooked. It tends to go from vibrant green to dark or a Mehndi (henna) green color. So if you prefer green palak paneer, here are a few tips you can incorporate.

For Stovetop method

Blanch the spinach and submerge it in ice-cold water to stop further cooking, and then puree it once cooled completely.

Add the spinach puree to the cooked onion tomato masala only when it's time to serve this dish. Saute it for 1-2 minutes and serve immediately.

Spinach cooks quickly and since we have balanced it previously there is no need to overcook it. The more you cook it the more it changes color. 

For Instant Pot

Once the cooking competes and the instant pot beeps, do a quick release.
Then immediately take out the inner stainless steel pot, and puree.

Return the inner pot to the Instant pot, add paneer, and saute for 1-2 mins until it comes to a simmer.

Turn off and serve immediately or transfer the inner pot to a hot plate trivet to avoid cooking further.

Recipe Tips

Use good quality paneer, be it homemade fresh, or frozen. Soak frozen paneer in hot water to make it nice and soft. 

I prefer soft paneer with my palak paneer but you can also pan fry paneer or air fry it in a couple of tablespoons of oil or ghee for a golden look. Just make sure not to overcook it as it turns chewy. 

Use fresh, tender spinach leaves. Discard any thick stems and spoilt leaves. I prefer using baby spinach for this recipe. You can also use frozen spinach. 

To make vegan palak paneer, replace paneer with pressed extra-firm tofu. If you want to use cream, use cashew cream or coconut cream. 

Sugar and cream are optional but a little bit of this helps balance the flavors and bitterness (if any).

You can adjust the spiciness to your taste. You can add more green chilies if you prefer it spicy. 

We prefer thicker and coarse texture palak paneer Dhaba style but you can adjust the consistency with water depending on your preference and blend it completely for a smoother texture.

Don't overcook the spinach (palak), especially if you like the green-looking palak paneer. The palak is already cooked it's just absorbing the flavors. Having said that, even if the palak looks dark, it's still good to eat.

Frequently Asked Questions 

More Spinach (Palak) recipes

More Paneer Recipes

I hope you enjoy this Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe !! If you try this recipe, please rate it by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what's cooking in my kitchen!!

Recipe Card

Update Notes: This post was originally published on Mar 7, 2014, but was republished with, step-by-step instructions, new photos, tips, and a video in Feb of 2023.