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!
Course Lunch
Cuisine Indian
Keyword instant pot vegetarian curry, palak paneer, spinach recipes
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
Use store-bought ginger and garlic pastes and garam masala powder if you want to save time.
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.
If using frozen paneer, immerse it in hot water and cut into cubes when thawed.
Don't add water to the spinach or over-blend it after it is cooked.
For a vegan recipe, swap the paneer for tofu and cream for coconut cream.