I call this Palak Paneer Mommy's Helper because it is a surefire way to get nutrient-rich spinach into kids without a complaint. The flash-cooking method helps preserve the vitamins, flavor, and rich color of the spinach. Cumin seeds add a subtle earthiness, and the creamy texture of cashews is the perfect replacement for traditional heavy cream, as it seamlessly balances the pureed sauce.
Palak paneer makes a healthy weeknight meal and is ready in 15 minutes with this easy Instant Pot recipe. I love this one-pot recipe to cook the spinach and then use an immersion blender to puree the sauce making cleanup super easy. Serve with steamed rice for a gluten-free meal or with hot parathas for a wholesome vegetarian meal! And if you love quick Instant Pot curries, try my Mushroom Masala and Aloo Gobi recipes for a perfect weeknight meal.
This quick Instant Pot recipe uses my mom's stovetop palak paneer recipe as a base. I stir in cashew cream, in the end, to make the curry rich and creamy. To make homemade cashew cream, simply blend cashews and warm milk (or water) to make a creamy, smooth paste.
NOTE: Heavy cream or unsweetened coconut cream can also be substituted for cashew cream.
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What is Paneer
Paneer is fresh, unsalted cheese that is similar to cottage cheese. Paneer is made by curdling milk using lemon juice or vinegar and then separating the whey. All the excess water from the curdled milk solids is pressed out and then shaped to form soft cheese. Paneer is not aged and can be consumed right away. It adds a nice texture to curries, parathas, rice dishes, and desserts. Here is a recipe that shows how to make homemade paneer.
Where can I buy Paneer?
I would recommend Gopi Brand Paneer from Whole Foods, Costco, or Indian grocery stores. When buying Paneer make sure it does not have any additives. Remember milk and an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or vinegar are the only 2 ingredients needed to make paneer.
How to Store Paneer?
Homemade Paneer can be refrigerated for up to a week and can be frozen for extended shelf life. I usually cut the store-bought paneer into cubes and freeze any unused portions right away.
How to make Instant Pot Palak Paneer (step-by-step recipe)
Blend cashews with milk or water to make a smooth puree and reserve. Heat oil in the Instant Pot and add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, and green chilies, and sauté for a minute. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes or until they become translucent. Add fresh or frozen spinach, water, and salt. Pressure cook for zero minutes if using fresh spinach, or pressure cook for 1 minute if using frozen spinach (photos 1 - 2).
Turn the Instant Pot off, by pressing the keep warm button. Quick release the pressure right away to avoid overcooking the spinach. Add ½ cup of water and carefully blend the spinach using an immersion blender. You may want to tilt the pot a little to avoid splattering (photos 3 - 4).
Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Add cashew cream/paste, garam masala, and paneer. Mix and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the curry is just heated through. Take out the inner pot on a hot plate to avoid overcooking (photos 5 - 6).
Serving
Enjoy with parathas, roti, or naan. For a gluten-free meal serve with basmati rice, brown rice, or veg biryani. A side cucumber salad or spicy cabbage salad will complete the meal.
How to store Palak Paneer
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze palak paneer for up to 2 months. To reheat simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave.
Tips To Keep Palak Paneer Green and Fresh
I often get questions about how my palak paneer looks vibrant green. Here are a few tips and tricks I always follow:
- Quick-release as soon as the pressure cooking cycle completes.
- Turn off the keep warm button as you do the quick release.
- Turn off the Instant Pot as you puree with the immersion blender. Take the inside pot out on a hot plate while pureeing and tilt the pot slightly to avoid splattering.
- Return the inner pot back to the Instant Pot housing, and add cashew paste, garam masala, and paneer. Cook on sauté for 1 to 2 minutes only or until the gravy comes to a gentle boil.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and take the inner pot out and keep it on a hot plate to avoid overcooking the spinach.
More Indian Recipes Using Spinach
- Spinach Khichri - Healthy one-pot meal cooked with rice, lentils, and lots of creamy spinach spiced with cumin, green chili, and a hint of garam masala.
- Spinach Dal - A staple in Indian homes, these creamy lentils have cumin, turmeric, garlic, and lots of fresh spinach.
- Chana Saag - chickpeas curry with spinach in a tangy onion-tomato sauce perfectly spiced with turmeric, cumin seeds, and garam masala.
- Spinach Sev - Crunchy savory snack made with gluten-free gram flour that is quick to make and utterly delicious as a snack or party starter.
To make an Indian Vegetarian Thali Meal here are my recommended recipes to make with Palak Paneer:
- Dum Aloo - curried baby potatoes in a tomato-based sauce
- Roti - thin rolled whole wheat Indian bread
- Dal & Rice - easy spinach dal with poi in pot rice cooked in the Instant Pot
- Cabbage Curry - quick and easy stir-fried cabbage
- Kothimbir Vadi - spicy cilantro cakes
- Beet Raita - cooling yogurt-based raita with cucumbers and beets
- Mango Shrikhand - dessert is a must with Indian meals and this one needs no cooking
The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook includes many such complete meal ideas for occasions like Indian parties, movie/game nights, or kid's parties!
Did you enjoy this easy recipe? Try these vegetarian Indian Instant Pot recipes.
Recipe
Instant Pot Palak Paneer
Ingredients
- 15 raw cashews **
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoon hot green chili minced
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped fine
- 1 lb spinach baby spinach works the best, or use chopped frozen
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups paneer cubed
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
Instructions
- Add cashews to milk and blend together to make a smooth paste. Keep aside. Note: Double up milk and cashews if your blender blades are not low and if the paste does not turn out smooth. Making a larger portion can help with bigger blender jars and you can freeze the extra for next time.
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute mode and heat ghee. Add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, and green chili. Saute for a minute. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes stirring a few times. Add spinach, salt, and water. Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing.
- For frozen spinach - Pressure cook on (Hi) for 1 minute
- For fresh spinach - Pressure cook on (Hi) for 0 minute
- Quick-release and turn off the Instant Pot
- Serve hot with rice or parathas. For a low carb option serve with caulilfower rice
Video
Notes
- Quick-release as soon as the pressure cooking cycle completes
- Turn off the keep warm button as you do the quick release
- Make sure that the Instant Pot is turned off as you are pureeing with the immersion blender. Take the inside pot out on a hot plate while pureeing. As you may need to tilt the pot to avoid splattering
- Return the inner pot back to the Instant Pot housing, and add cashew paste, garam masala, and paneer. Cook on sauté for 1 to 2 minutes only or until the gravy comes to a gentle boil
- Turn off the Instant Pot and take the inner pot out and keep it on a hot plate to avoid overcooking the spinach
Nutrition
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Hans Susser says
This looks so appetizing 🙂 Both your pics and recipes are wonderful. Thank you 🙂
Archana says
Thank you Hans!
Lathiya says
Looks yummy ?
Archana says
Thank you Lathiya!
Grubbing With Jess says
Palak paneer is one of my faves!! This looks delicious!
Archana says
Thank you Jess! It is my fav indian dish too.
Laura says
Where do you get the paneer? Or do you make that?
Archana says
Hi Laura,
You can buy paneer at whole foods. I also make it home. Here is the recipe: http://ministryofcurry.com/homemade-paneerindian-cottage-cheese/
Laura says
Thank you so much! This is my favorite Indian dish and it seems so easy to make.
Archana says
Laura, easy to make. Let me know how you like it!
KR says
The presentation is incredible! Looks fantastic, and exotic, I have to try this!! 🙂
Archana says
Thank you!
fivezero says
This is one of my favorite Indian dishes! Looks fantastic, thanks for the recipe.
Archana says
Thank you!
annika says
Lovely recipe as always, Archana!
Archana says
Thank you Annika!
Thistles and Kiwis says
Looks lovely!
Archana says
Thank you!
Kalbap says
EZ to make, healthy and flavorful! Made for a sumptuous Sunday lunch. (Couldn't resist the snooze after that)!! Becoming a fan of my newly acquired instapot. EZ clean up too.
Used bag of frozen chopped spinach. I didn't have paneer so I substituted with fresh mozzarella balls.
Archana says
Thank you Kalyani! I agree with you that frozen chopped spinach makes this recipe so easy and yes I love the cleanup with IP. I am so glad to know that you are loving cooking in IP.
Karen says
If using fresh spinach, is it really 0 minutes? Thank you.
Archana says
Yes!
Sarah Laliberte says
Made this tonight for dinner in the IP. It was truly delicious! This might just break me of my palak paneer takeout addiction. I think I'm going to try freezing portions of it for quick dinners. Has any one tried that? I wonder if I should freeze without the paneer, or if it matters.
Archana says
Hi Sarah, So glad you made this and enjoyed it. So much healthier than a takeout and so simple right? I have not frozen palak paneer but I have frozen just paneer and it works well. So I think freezing palak paneer will also work. I have seen many grocery stores selling this dish as frozen. Also did you try cooking this dish using frozen chopped spinach? It really makes this dish quicker and still delicious!
muleadmirer says
Hello Ministry of Curry - Great domain name. 🙂 I made this last night, and wanted to draw your attention to a little fix you might make: The ingredients list says 'cumin' and only in the directions do you say 'cumin seeds'. I had already measured out the cumin powder and didn't catch the mistake until after - boy did this have a LOT of cumin flavor!! We all agreed it was worth making again, 'correctly', because it was really good even with LOTS of cumin. Thank you for the recipe, and the one for the paneer, which turned out great with our goats' milk. 🙂 I'll be checking out your other stuff as well. - Wendy
Archana says
Hi Wendy! Thank you for your kind words and also for pointing out the difference in my recipe. I will correct the recipe so it is clear. Thank you for trying the recipe and I am so glad you enjoyed this easy palak paneer recipe. I hope you enjoy rest of my recipes too.
muleadmirer says
Hi Archana! We are really looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. We are REALLY excited about the parathas - next rainy day! 🙂 Thank you for your hard work and dedication in doing this blog, and uploading the lovely pictures and sharing your expertise with the rest of us! 🙂
Archana says
Thank you for your kind words Wendy! Let me know how the Parathas come out!
Xerix says
Love this recipe. I used preached baby spinach leaves. It worked well same time and method. I added plain yogurt at the end as well not cashew cream.
Archana says
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed this easy palak paneer. And I love your idea of adding plain yogurt for creaminess
Rose says
I am allergic to nuts what else can I usw
Archana says
Hi Rose, Traditionally cream is used in palak paneer. You can use 1/2 cup of cream instead. Hope you enjoy this yummy dish. Let me know if you have any questions
Rose says
Oh I will try this thanks for replying!
Lee Ann says
This looks wonderful! I have paneer in the freezer, and I'm looking forward to trying this recipe. Can I use other greens besides spinach, and would the cooking time be different?
Archana says
Hi Lee Ann, Yes you can use any greens thats you like. As long as they are de-stemmed (like kale, chard) they should work with the same cook time. Let me know how you like it!
Vishal says
This was the best palak paneeer I’ve eaten! Why do you add Garam Masala at the end?
Archana says
Thank you! My garam masala is already roasted and sprinkling in the end adds more fresh aromas
Mauli says
Thank you for this recipe. I made this last night for dinner and turned out really yummy and very easy. Thanks much!
Archana says
You are welcome! Thank you for the feedback
Nilanjana says
Hi Archana
For fresh spinach I manual cook for 0 mins? So just a few seconds? Also after that I need to take out the palak mixture and blend? How long do I cook the paneer in the mixture ?
Thanks
Archana says
Yes manual zero for fresh. We are just blanching. I use hand blender in the instant pot. And after you add paneer just bring the curry to gentle boil.
Adam T says
I made this exactly as listed. It was easy and everyone loved it. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe!
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback Adam.