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    Home » Instant Pot Recipes

    EASY Instant Pot Palak Paneer

    Published: Apr 10, 2017 · Modified: May 16, 2023 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 121 Comments

    3974 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    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 served with parathas, rice and cabbage salad

    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.

    Jump to:
    • What is Paneer
    • Where can I buy Paneer?
    • How to Store Paneer?
    • How to make Instant Pot Palak Paneer (step-by-step recipe)
    • Serving
    • How to store Palak Paneer
    • Tips To Keep Palak Paneer Green and Fresh
    • More Indian Recipes Using Spinach
    • Recipe

    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).

    steps one and two to make palak paneer in the Instant Pot

    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).

    steps three and four to make palak paneer in the Instant Pot

    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).

    steps five and six to make palak paneer in the Instant Pot

    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:

    1. Quick-release as soon as the pressure cooking cycle completes.
    2. Turn off the keep warm button as you do the quick release.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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!

    palak paneer served with rice & paratha

    Did you enjoy this easy recipe? Try these vegetarian Indian Instant Pot recipes.

    Recipe

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    Palak Paneer served with paratha, rice & salad
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    4.60 from 88 votes

    Instant Pot Palak Paneer

    A classic vegetarian dish from Noth India, Palak Paneer is cooked with fresh spinach and paneer along with fresh ginger, garlic and garam masala
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time15 minutes mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 474kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    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
    • Add ½ cup of water(optional) and blend to make a smooth paste using an immersion blender.
    • Add cashew paste, garam masala, and paneer. Gently stir everything together and cook on sauté mode for 2 minutes or until heated through.
    • Serve hot with rice or parathas. For a low carb option serve with caulilfower rice

    Video

    Notes

    PRO tips to keep the palak paneer looking green and fresh:
    1. Quick-release as soon as the pressure cooking cycle completes
    2. Turn off the keep warm button as you do the quick release
    3. 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
    4. 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
    5. Turn off the Instant Pot and take the inner pot out and keep it on a hot plate to avoid overcooking the spinach
    Note:
    If you wash the fresh spinach, remember to pat dry any excess moisture

    Nutrition

    Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 10660IU | Vitamin C: 34.4mg | Calcium: 680mg | Iron: 3.9mg
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry

    ♥ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for tasty and easy video recipes. Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Check out our delicious Instant Pot Recipe board on Pinterest.

    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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    1. Dhanya says

      January 31, 2018 at 2:50 am

      Hi Archana,

      Thank you for the recipe. I tried it, and it was tasty.

      I don’t have an immersion blender, so after pressure cooking, I had to transfer the cooked spinach to my regular blender and then transfer it back to the IP to sauté again. Do you use your immersion blender a lot?

      I will add 1/2 cup water while blending next time, as my final dish was a little drier than I expected.

      Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 01, 2018 at 11:26 am

        Hi Dhanya, I love my immersion blender, I use it for soups, curry sauces, mango lassi. Most of the gravies do thicken up after they cool down. I am glad you loved the flavors. This recipe on repeat in my home.

        Reply
    2. Leigh says

      February 25, 2018 at 10:50 am

      Do you have to thaw and strain the frozen spinach before putting it in the IP?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 25, 2018 at 1:16 pm

        Hi Leigh, add it frozen, no need to thaw.

        Reply
    3. Audree says

      March 21, 2018 at 4:05 pm

      Again, this sounds wonderful, but I don’t have an Instant Pot. What changes would I make for cooking on the stove? Thank you!!!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 21, 2018 at 4:27 pm

        Hi Audree, Instaed of pressure cooking the spinach for 1 minute you would cook it on stovetop until it comes to a full boil. Then follow remaining recipe. Add extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water as on stovetop water will evaporate. Do not use lid while cooking this dish so it maintains the fresh green color.

        Reply
    4. Janey says

      March 30, 2018 at 6:01 am

      Hi all the saag recipes I've seen always have turmeric, cayenne and coriander. Is there a reason they're not in this recipe? Can I add them?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 30, 2018 at 7:49 am

        You can definitely add them. I love the freshness and flavors of spinach in this dish and do not like to overpower with too many spices. I like the heat in this dish from green chilies and hence no cayenne. I do not add turmeric to green curries as they can change the color of the curry but you can totally add. Also you can add coriander powder if you like.

        Reply
    5. Jennifer says

      April 11, 2018 at 3:20 pm

      Thanks for the recipe! I didn't know palak paneer was so easy to make at home. I love that the ingredients used are all healthy and this recipe isn't loaded with cream or butter. Will definitely be making this again and again.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 12, 2018 at 8:01 pm

        Thank you Jennifer. We make this frequently for our weeknight meals. Its simple and delicious.

        Reply
    6. Ranjana Shardha says

      July 06, 2018 at 11:36 am

      Hi Archana,

      I've been following your recipes since I've started using IP. They very easy to follow and end product comes out very yummy, so thanks alot for that.
      We are going on a 17 day road trip next week. Though I'll be taking my IP with us but I was thinking if I can cook a few things and freeze them and then take them in the cooler with us, will that be okay? For example, I was thinking of making some paneer dishes, choley, rajma, dal and freeze them. We will have access to fridge to our accommodations (Hotels and AirBnBs) so we can pop them in the fridge when we check-in and can put them in the cooler with ice when driving. Do you think it's a good idea. I just want to save some cooking when vacation mode is ON. We'll take some naans and rotis too in the cooler bag and will cook rice in IP when needed.
      Your advice in this regard will be highly appreciated.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 06, 2018 at 10:57 pm

        Hi Ranjana! Your road trip sounds really exciting! You can totally take cooked frozen dishes as long as they are in a cooler with ice. You can keep changing the ice as it melts. I think it is a great idea and will totally work for the dishes you mentioned. Have fun! And I can't wait to hear how it goes.

        Reply
    7. david thomas says

      July 19, 2018 at 6:46 pm

      Could you please remove the video from the print recipe and post it in the body of your blog post. It added a third page to my printout, which I canceled.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 20, 2018 at 1:21 pm

        Hi David, I am so sorry that it took up so much space. For some reason when i do print preview I do not see the video being printed at all.

        Reply
    8. David Thomas says

      July 20, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      The video was not being printed but the space taken up by the video was accounted for in my print preview, a large blank space spanning two pages thus making my printout 3 pages long with that blank space. I did copy & paste it into a Word document, deleted the Recipe Video spacing, and got a two page recipe.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 20, 2018 at 5:34 pm

        Thank you for letting me know. I will look into it.

        Reply
    9. Healthy Kitchen 101 says

      July 24, 2018 at 12:54 am

      Oh, It looks well when cooked by an instant pot. I don't have one at present but really consider it for the future! It's so useful.
      - Natalie Ellis

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 24, 2018 at 1:31 pm

        Thank you Natalie. I also have the stove top recipe on the blog.

        Reply
        • Payal says

          August 05, 2018 at 12:53 pm

          How do I measure 1 pound frozen spinach?

          Reply
          • Archana says

            August 05, 2018 at 2:04 pm

            Usually I buy trader joe's frozen spinach which is 1 pound. If you have the 10 ounce boxes you can use 1 and 1/2 box.

            Reply
    10. Payal says

      August 05, 2018 at 1:15 am

      Hi, I’m going to try your recipe tomorrow. Silly question- I have had fresh spinach that I have put into ziplock bags and put in my freezer. Would I weigh out 1lb of frozen spinach? Wouldn’t that be different then the fresh (ie 1 pound of fresh would be a lot more then 1pound of frozen)? Hopefully my question makes sense. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 05, 2018 at 2:05 pm

        Hi Payal yes your question makes sense. You want to use 3 to 4 cups of frozen spinach.

        Reply
    11. Claire says

      August 21, 2018 at 8:41 pm

      Are you using roasted or raw cashews?
      This version looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it in my IP.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 21, 2018 at 10:19 pm

        Hi Claire, raw cashews for this recipe. Let me know how you like it.

        Reply
    12. PaliWali says

      August 22, 2018 at 2:29 pm

      Hi I want to make this recipe but don’t want to add green chilies is it ok to use cayenne pepper? Also do I need fresh ginger or is ground ginger ok? If yes how much of each of the ingredients do I add? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 23, 2018 at 4:29 am

        You can add cayenne pepper to taste in the end after pressure cooking. I would recommend fresh ginger in this recipe. Dry ginger will alter the taste of the recipe. You can skip ginger if you do not have fresh ginger on hand. It will still be flavorful. Let me know if you have any other questions.

        Reply
    13. Melanie says

      October 13, 2018 at 8:26 pm

      Hi, Can I use cumin powder instead of cumin seeds? I only have the powder. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 13, 2018 at 9:26 pm

        Yes absolutely!!

        Reply
        • Melanie says

          October 14, 2018 at 2:53 pm

          Awesome thank you!

          Reply
    14. Dhara says

      November 10, 2018 at 11:29 am

      I tried it last night and palak paneer was amazing. Very quick and yummy!! Love the tip for green color. Family really enjoyed it.Thank you.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 10, 2018 at 11:29 am

        Thank you for the feedback

        Reply
    15. Deepa says

      February 18, 2019 at 11:36 am

      I made this and adjusted for 6 portions. It was a hit!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 20, 2019 at 4:16 pm

        Thank you for the feedback

        Reply
    16. Manisha says

      February 27, 2019 at 10:32 pm

      Tried this today. Came out good
      Thank you for the instapot recipe !!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 02, 2019 at 2:24 pm

        Thank you for the feedback!

        Reply
    17. Michelle says

      April 14, 2019 at 7:02 pm

      Tasty5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 14, 2019 at 11:25 pm

        Thank you

        Reply
    18. Vijaya says

      May 15, 2019 at 1:51 am

      Hi Archana, until few days back I was using IP as rice cooker 😉 one day I accidentally saw ur shrimp biryani recipe, tried it and it turned out yummy,esp kids loved it. Shared ur page to all my friends too.Really like ur simple recipes, gonna try more. Thanks for sharing ur wonderful recipes with us. Happy cooking!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 15, 2019 at 8:04 am

        Thank you for your kind words and feedback. I hope you try lots of amazing recipes in the Instant Pot.

        Reply
    19. SR says

      May 18, 2019 at 9:38 am

      Hi Archana, if I double the recipe, do I still only add one cup of water? The water isn't listed in the ingredients.4 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 19, 2019 at 3:02 pm

        Yes that will work. Add more water after pressure cooking to bring the dish to your desired consistency

        Reply
    20. Genny Dalton says

      May 28, 2019 at 10:10 pm

      Absolutely fabulous! Made it tonight and loved it. I usually just add ginger, garlic, etc. without measuring and so probably added more than called for. It was fantastic and easy to make using bagged baby spinach. At the end of cooking I used an immersion blender to make a smooth puree from the cooked spinach. I will probably add more cumin seeds next time because it is a flavor that I enjoy. Thank you for a great recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 29, 2019 at 8:05 pm

        Thank you for your feedback. This recipe is on repeat at my home.

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

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