Palak Paneer - Instant Pot Recipe (Spinach with Indian Cottage Cheese)

Instant Pot Palak paneer is a tried and tested (and very easy and quick) recipe. Scoop up this lovely cheese and spinach curry with piping hot naan to get a taste of a much-loved North Indian dish. Vegetarian and gluten-free!

Soft cubes of Indian cottage cheese wrapped in a flavorful spinach curry: that’s what palak paneer is all about. If you like Indian food and haven’t sampled this very popular North Indian dish, you’re in for a treat. And if you're already a fan, try my super-simple version, adapted for the instant pot.

I had almost given up on this dish until I discovered how to make palak paneer in the instant pot. I used to hate boiling the spinach, then cooling it in ice-water, then pureeing it in a blender, then frying the paneer and on and on …. aargh! (so many steps and a 100 different bowls to clean). Gone are all those complicated and, in my opinion, unnecessary steps in this new, updated recipe. With my instant pot and a few cunning hacks, what used to take me 45 minutes and a lot of labor is now ready in 20 minutes. Plus there’s NO compromise on the taste. Can you believe it?

This is also one of those palak recipes that has evolved over the years as I kept adding and subtracting ingredients to arrive at the perfect taste and texture. And I have to say I’m quite happy with the present avatar. Not bland, not overpowering either … just the right amount of zingy!

Paneer or Indian Cottage Cheese

If you are new to Indian cooking or have not used paneer before, it is a firm cheese made from curdled milk. Unlike other cheeses, it holds its shape when cooked and does not melt. It has a distinctly milky taste and a grainy texture. This cheese is available in the form of frozen and packaged slabs in Indian stores and even Walmart and Superstore, Canada.

I personally love paneer and have a quite a few recipes on the blog with paneer as the star ingredient. Check out my paneer kabab, mutter paneer (cottage cheese with sweet peas), paneer butter masala and cashew paneer if you are a fan of this Indian cheese.

You can even make your own paneer at home, and it's not at all difficult. Here's an easy 2-ingredient recipe for making paneer in the instant pot if you're interested.

A few simple hacks that make this palak paneer recipe easy and quick

The following are the hacks I was talking about earlier -

1. Pre-washed baby spinach – there’s no need to wash or chop it. Saves a massive amount of prep time.
2. Immersion blender to puree the spinach curry – there are two advantages to this. You can blend the curry even when it’s hot and you get to save an extra bowl. If you don’t have an immersion blender, wait for the curry to cool down, then blend it in your regular blender.
3. Store-bought ginger and garlic pastes and garam masala – easily available in any Indian supermarket or even Walmart and Superstore in Canada.

Ingredients used in palak paneer

• Baby spinach
• Onion - chopped
• Tomato - chopped
• Ginger - minced
• Garlic – minced
• Green chilli
• Ground spices – coriander, turmeric and garam masala
• Cream
• Cooking oil
• Salt
• Garlic clove (for tempering) - optional
• Cumin seeds (for tempering) - optional

Note: Exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card below.

How to make palak paneer instant pot recipe

Preparation  

1. Chop the onion and tomato - can be chopped roughly since we'll be pureeing it anyway.
2. Mince the ginger and garlic - or use store-bought ginger and garlic pastes.
3. Cut the paneer in cubes (you can do this when the spinach is cooking under pressure in the pot).

Cooking

1. Press the saute button on your instant pot and wait for it to display the ‘hot’ sign. Add the oil and onions. Saute for 2 minutes or until the onions are softened.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except the spinach and cream.
3. Cook for 5 minutes, adding splashes of water to keep the masala from burning.
4. Add the spinach and press down. The leaves will wilt in 1 or 2 minutes. Now, cancel the saute mode and press the pressure cooking button. Secure the lid and make sure the vent is in the sealing position. Set the timer to 0 minutes.
5. When the timer beeps, release the pressure immediately and open the cooker.
6. Using an immersion blender, puree the spinach.
7. Add the paneer and cream and mix well.

Tempering palak paneer (optional)

You can temper this dish if you wish to although it’s not essential. Still, if you’re in the mood for something more lavish, go ahead and do it.

1. In a small frypan, heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil or ghee and add 1 clove chopped garlic and ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds.
2. When the garlic starts browning, pour the contents (oil + garlic + cumin) over the curry. Do this very carefully as the oil is hot and might splatter.

This does add a wonderful garlicky aroma to the palak paneer!

Tips to make the perfect instant pot palak paneer

1. Do not add any water after adding the spinach. Don’t worry, the curry won’t burn since spinach releases a lot of water and you’re only pressure cooking it for zero minutes. Cooking it for zero minutes also preserves the bright green color of the spinach.
2. If you’re using frozen paneer, immerse it in hot water for some time before cutting it and adding it to the curry. This will give you soft paneer that won't feel chewy in your mouth.
3. When blending the spinach, don’t overdo it since you do want some texture in the curry. Just pulse it a couple of times and it will be done.

Serving Ideas

Palak paneer is usually eaten with warm naan bread. However, if you want to go whole hog (do the complete Indian meal), make these lentils and rice recipes as well. The whole combo tastes terrific.

Toor dal or dal makhani

Jeera rice

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between palak paneer and saag paneer?

Palak paneer has only spinach leaves in it whereas saag paneer has mustard leaves in addition to spinach. If you want to make saag paneer, add a bunch of mustard leaves along with the spinach and continue with the steps of the recipe.

Can I use frozen spinach?

Absolutely. If fresh spinach is not available, break the frozen spinach into chunks and add it to the prepared masala. Then, set the timer to 1 minute instead of 0 minutes to ensure that the spinach gets cooked properly.

Can I make vegan palak paneer? 

Yes. To make vegan palak paneer, simply substitute paneer with semi-firm tofu and swap the cream with coconut cream.

Does palak paneer freeze well?

Yes, again. You can freeze the entire dish or freeze only the cooked and pureed spinach. I don't usually add the paneer to the spinach if I know I won't be using it immediately. You can always add fresh paneer later since it doesn't need to get cooked with the curry itself.

Other must-try instant pot vegetarian recipes

📖 Recipe

Instant Pot Palak Paneer

Saima Zaidi

Instant Pot Palak paneer is a tried and tested (and very easy and quick) recipe. Scoop up this lovely cheese and spinach curry with piping hot naan to get a taste of a much-loved North Indian dish. Vegetarian and gluten-free!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 8 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Lunch

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Calories 356.4 kcal

Equipment

• 6-quart Instant Pot Duo
• Stand Blender OR Immersion blender

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 11 oz baby spinach
• 12.3 oz paneer
• 1 small onion
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1-2 green chillies
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 tablespoon cream
• salt to taste
• For tempering optional
• 1 tablespoon ghee or cooking oil
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

Instructions

 

Preparation  

• Chop the onion and tomato.
• Mince the ginger and garlic.
• Cut the paneer in cubes.

Cooking

• Press the saute button on your instant pot and wait for it to display the ‘hot’ sign. Add the oil and onions. Saute for 2 minutes until the onions are softened.
• Add the rest of the ingredients except the spinach and cream.
• Cook for 5 minutes, adding splashes of water to keep the masala from burning.
• Add the spinach and press down. The leaves will get wilted in 1 or 2 minutes. Now, cancel the saute mode and press the pressure cooking button. Secure the lid and make sure the vent is in the sealing position. Set the timer to 0 minutes.
• When the timer beeps, release the pressure immediately and open the cooker.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the spinach.
• Add the paneer and cream and mix well.

Tempering (optional)

• Heat 1 tablespoon ghee or oil in a small frypan and add the chopped garlic. Saute until it starts turning brown.
• Add the cumin seeds.
• Tip the oil, garlic and cumin gently over the palak paneer curry.

Notes

1. Use store-bought ginger and garlic pastes and garam masala powder if you want to save time.
2. You can make these ingredients at home too if you wish to. Ginger-garlic paste - put equal quantities of peeled ginger and garlic in a blender along with a few tablespoons of water and blend to get a smooth paste. Garam masala - put 5 cloves, 5 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom (peeled), 15 black peppercorns in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder and whiz to get a powder. Store any leftover in a small air-tight container.
3. If using frozen paneer, immerse it in hot water and cut into cubes when thawed.
4. Don't add water to the spinach or over-blend it after it is cooked.
5. For a vegan recipe, swap the paneer for tofu and cream for coconut cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 356.4kcalCarbohydrates: 8.4gProtein: 18.9gFat: 28.5gSaturated Fat: 2.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7.4gCholesterol: 10.3mgSodium: 653.2mgFiber: 2.4gSugar: 1.3g

Keyword instant pot vegetarian curry, palak paneer, spinach recipes

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