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Bowl of palak paneer in center with plate of naan and salad bowl on side

Palak Paneer Recipe (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

Shweta Arora
Palak Paneer is a popular North Indian dish made with soft paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cooked in a smooth creamy spinach gravy that is infused with spices. This flavorful Spinach and Paneer curry is vegetarian, gluten-free, healthy, and delicious. Serve it with paratha, naan, or even with jeera rice. Here is how to make better than restaurant-style Punjabi Palak Paneer at home in the Instant Pot and Stovetop. 
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 365 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 16 oz spinach using baby spinach, or use chopped frozen spinach
  • 360 grams paneer
  • 1-2 tablespoon ghee or oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1-2 green chillies chopped, adjust to taste
  • 5 cloves garlic minced (or 1 tablespoon garlic minced)
  • 2 inch ginger chopped or grated (Or use 1 tablespoon ginger minced)
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1 medium roma tomato finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder optional
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli powder adjust to taste
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½-1 teaspoon Punjabi garam masala or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi dry fenugreek leaves
  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream optional
  • ½ teaspoon sugar optional

Instructions
 

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

Making Instant Pot Palak Paneer

  • Start the Instant Pot on saute mode. Heat oil and add the bay leaf and cumin seeds.
  • When the seeds splutter add the onion and saute till they turn translucent.
  • Next, add ginger garlic green chilies and saute for a few seconds till the raw garlic smell disappears.
  • Add the tomatoes and saute for a couple of mins.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Add the washed and drained palak leaves. These might feel like a lot but they shrink considerably.
  • 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 mins and then do a pressure release.
  • Open the lid, transfer the inner pot (be careful its hot) to a hot plate trivet. Remove the bay leaf, and using an immersion blender to blend it coarse or into a smooth gravy. You can also blend it in a blender.
  • Transfer the inner pot back to the Instant Pot. Crush the fenugreek leaves between your palms and then add them to the gravy along with the soft paneer cubes and cilantro.
  • 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.
    At this stage, you can drizzle over some cream (optional). Palak paneer is ready. Serve with naan, paratha or jeera rice.

Making Palak Paneer on Stove top

  • 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).
  • Drain completely and transfer to a bowl with ice-cold water. This will stop the spinach from cooking further and retain the green color.
  • Once the spinach has cooled, drain the water completely and transfer it to a blender along with green chili, salt, and sugar (optional). 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.
  • Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the bay leaf and cumin seeds.
  • Once the seeds splutter add the onion and saute until translucent.
  • 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.
  • Add the spices and saute for 1-2 mins. Ensure the masala doesn’t burn, and deglaze with water if needed.
  • Add in the soft paneer cubes and cook for 1-2 mins.
  • Stir in the spinach puree and simmer for another 1-2 mins.
  • 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.
  • At this stage, you can drizzle over some cream (optional). Palak paneer is ready. Serve with naan, paratha or jeera rice.

Video

Notes

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 (or air fry) it in a couple of tablespoons of oil or ghee for a golden look. Just make sure to not 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 it vegan, replace paneer with pressed extra-firm tofu. If you want to use cream, use cashew cream. 
Sugar and cream are optional but a little bit of this help 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 if completely for a smoother texture.
Don’t overcook the spinach (palak), especially if you like the green-looking palak paneer. Having said that, even if the palak looks dark, it's still good to eat. 
Spinach tends to change color (turn dark) when cooked. It tends to go from vibrant green to dark color. So if you prefer green palak paneer, here are a few tips you can incorporate.
  • For stove top method: Blanch the spinach and submerge 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 the Instant pot method: Once the cooking competes and the instant pot beeps, do a quick release and 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 to avoid cooking further.

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 741mg | Potassium: 775mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 10904IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 574mg | Iron: 4mg
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