Easy Palak Paneer – Instant Pot & Stovetop

Ingredients

• 10 oz spinach (palak) (about 284 grams), (around 8-10 cups)
• 200 grams paneer (cottage cheese) (about 1.5 cups), cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• ½ inch ginger minced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 green chillies finely chopped
• 1 large tomato finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon sugar optional
• ½ cup water or as needed
• 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cream or cashew cream (optional)

Steps

Instant Pot Method:

1. Press SAUTE on the Instant Pot and add oil to the pot. Once hot, put in the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
2. Put in the roughly chopped onions, minced ginger, garlic and green chili and sauté until the onions are light brown.
3. Add diced tomato and spices such as red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt and sugar. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
4. Pour in ½ cup water and deglaze the pot, then add the fresh spinach.
5. Close the lid and move the pressure valve to SEALING. Use MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) with a 2 Minutes timer, or 1 Minute if using frozen spinach.
6. When the pot beeps, do a QUICK RELEASE (QR). Use an immersion blender to blend the pot's contents to a creamy texture. Without one, remove the mixture, let it cool, blend in a regular blender and return it to the Instant Pot.
7. Mix in the garam masala, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and paneer cubes last. Fresh cream or cashew cream may also be added now. There is no need to boil or sauté again after adding paneer; leave it for 5 minutes.
8. The palak paneer is ready to serve with your preferred Indian bread—roti, naan, kulcha or paratha—or plain rice.

Stovetop Pot Method:

1. Boil water in a large pot, add the spinach and blanch for 1-2 minutes, until wilted.
2. Drain and put the spinach into a bowl of ice cold water to help retain its green color.
3. In a blender, purée the blanched spinach with ½ cup water until smooth, then leave aside.
4. Heat oil in a kadai; once hot, put in the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
5. Add the onions and sauté to a light brown.
6. Put in the minced ginger, garlic and green chili and sauté until the raw smell of both ginger and garlic is gone.
7. Follow with diced tomato or tomato puree and sauté until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
8. Add spices such as red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt and sugar, cooking for 1-2 minutes until the masalas are well cooked.
9. Add the spinach purée and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Do not cook longer at this stage, as the spinach can lose its color. Add some water if the gravy is thick.
10. Add kasuri methi, garam masala and paneer cubes last, give a quick stir and turn the stove off. Optionally, add 2 tablespoons fresh cream or cashew cream at this stage.
11. Preparation of the palak paneer is complete.