Instant Pot Palak Paneer

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Palak Paneer is a northern Indian dish which cooks paneer cheese in a thick sauce made of spinach, tomatoes, spices, and cream. This version is made in the Instant Pot for a quick and easy recipe.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Pressure Building 10

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 313kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Instant Pot
Immersion Blender

Ingredients

2 tbsp Ghee or vegetable Oil
1 ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
½ Red Onion finely diced (about ½ cup)
1 Green chili cut into quarters
½ tbsp Ginger grated
1 tsp Garlic minced
1 Roma tomato diced
½ tsp Ground Coriander
⅛ - ¼ tsp Red chili powder
½ tsp Salt
8 oz Spinach
¼ cup Fresh cream optional; (or cashew paste)
1 tsp Garam Masala
8 oz Paneer cut into ½” cubes

Instructions

Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE and add 2 tbsp ghee. Allow it to heat up, then add 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds. Allow the cumin seeds to toast until fragrant.
Add ½ a red onion, diced and chop up the green chili and saute until the onion begins to soften.
Add ½ tbsp ginger paste and ½ tsp garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the diced tomato and saute until the tomato turns mushy.
Add ½ tsp coriander, ⅛-1/4 tsp red chili powder, and ½ tsp salt and mix. Then add 8 oz spinach into the pot along with about ½ cup water.
Put the lid on the pot and seal the pressure valve. Turn the pot to HIGH and pressure cook for 1 minute. When the time is up, perform a quick release.
Use an immersion blender to completely blend the contents of the pot. Add ¼ cup cream at this time if desired.
Then turn the pot to SAUTE and cook for a few minutes until the mixture comes to a boil.
Add 1 tsp garam masala and mix to combine, then add 8 oz paneer cubes. You can add a splash of water if you think your sauce needs to be thinner (I added a few tablespoons). Garnish with more cream if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.

Ghee: Ghee is clarified butter that originated in India. Milk solids are removed from the butter, meaning it has less lactose. You can buy ghee at any grocery store. This article teaches you how to make ghee, but if you are making it for this recipe, do not add the spices.
Cumin Seeds: Use whole cumin seeds in this recipe.
Green Chili: You can get green chilies from most local Indian grocery stores.
Spinach: I use baby spinach. If you use regular spinach, cut the stems off.
Garam Masala: Garam Masala is a spice blend that includes cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, and nutmeg. You can find it in the spice aisle at the grocery store. If you’d like to make it at home, you can follow this recipe about How to Make Garam Masala (if you like Garam Masala, also check out this Kabuli Pulao recipe!).
Paneer: I found paneer at my local Indian market.
Cream: I use heavy whipping cream. You can also use fresh cashew cream if you prefer.
The more garam masala you add, the darker your sauce will be. Overcooked spinach will also turn the sauce dark. Try to not overcook the spinach in order to achieve that lovely green color!
Some recipes call for blanching the spinach before cooking. If you prefer this method, you can certainly do so!
Many people like pan frying the paneer to a golden brown color before adding it into the curry. If you want a crispier paneer, try this out!
If you are looking for a vegan palak paneer option, try using tofu instead of paneer!
This is a low carb, gluten-free meal that can also be made vegan if necessary!