Palak Paneer or any other Spinach dish (Saag, Palak Corns, Palak Aloo, etc.) are very popular during cold weather in India. It is often served with Makki ki Roti. Earlier, while making Palak Paneer, I used to boil Spinach first and then grind it coarsely. Then, I used to add that boiled & pureed spinach in the onion-tomato masala, But with Instant Pot, making Palak Paneer is so much easier as I can do everything in one pot and in half of the time. The post contains Helpful Tips & Tricks to make Palak Paneer. But if you’re in a hurry, you can also click “Jump to Recipe’ under the Heading to go directly to the Recipe Card or click Recipe Card from the Table of Contents below.
⭐WHAT IS PANEER?
Paneer is Indian Cottage Cheese made by curdling milk by adding either lemon juice or vinegar. It is made fresh and cannot be aged. Instead, this unsalted variety of Indian cheese is pressed to remove all the liquid from the curdled solids and then later shaped. Paneer can not be melted, and hence it is used in many Indian curries, rice, sides, etc.
How to Store Paneer:
You can use Homemade Paneer, or you can also buy the Paneer from the stores. Store-bought Paneer is frozen and stays good for a longer time. You can store homemade paneer in the refrigerator for 10-15 days. And for longer use, store in the freezer.
Where to get Paneer From:
Paneer is easily available in most stores like Costco, WholeFoods, Indian stores, etc. However, my favorite is Haldiram’s Paneer, which I get from Patel Brothers (Indian Store). It is fresh, soft, creamy, unlike other paneer varieties.
💭WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAAG PANEER AND PALAK PANEER
There is just one difference between saag paneer and palak paneer. Palak Paneer is made just with spinach, aka. Palak. And hence the name Palak Paneer. While Saag Paneer/ Saag is made by combining different greens (spinach, mustard green, bathua, red spinach, etc.). Saag or Palak recipes are made during cold weather in India, as these greens are easily available there during that time. However, not all greens are available everywhere. So I try to add the greens that I can find here. I usually use Mustard Green & Spinach and sometimes Collard Greens. Though adding collard greens makes saag a little bitter.
🥘INGREDIENTS
🔪HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT PALAK PANEER
For the full recipe, check the recipe card below but you refer here for step-by-step photo instructions.
Make either the fresh Tadka or use the frozen/ refrigerated one. For making tadka first, fry onions. In generous amount of oil, saute onion until they start to change the color.
Then add tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes or until they turn soft & mushy.Add ginger-garlic paste and spices to it. Cook for 1-2 minutes until masala/tadka is ready.
Then add fresh/ frozen spinach leaves with a little bit of water and boil them. It doesn’t require a lot of water as spinach has a lot of water content in it, so when spinach is boiled it leaves water too.
Once the spinach is boiled, the next step is to grind it. Remember to blend it coarsely and not smooth like a paste. Otherwise, it will turn like a soup and we don’t want that.Then add Paneer cubes in the pot. You can first grill/air-fry or fry them before adding. This will add a nice flavor. You can also add Tofu in the recipe.You can also add tempering by frying garlic in oil with cumin seeds, and Kashmirri Red Chili Powder. Last and final step is to add ghee (Clarified Butter) in Palak Paneer just before serving).
📖 VARIATIONS
STOVE-TOP PALAK PANEER
Stove-top Palak Paneer is a 3-step process. In the first step, spinach leaves are boiled and pureed. In Step 2, the masala (or tadka) is prepared. Then the boiled and pureed spinach is added to that masala. Lastly, Paneer is added. This is the authentic way that is used in India. I also used to make my Palak Paneer in the same way. However, now I personally prefer my Instant Pot version.
💭TOP TIPS
I usually boil Spinach and Green Lentils together. Adding green Lentils makes the recipe healthier and also gives a taste similar to Saag.I also add roasted gram flour to the recipe, this helps in the texture. Roasted Gram Flour will thicken the curry, if the curry is too watery. Or you can add Almond Flour if you don’t want to roast gram flour. Both are healthy options.You can add Tofu or Paneer in the recipe. But I’ll recommend before adding them, either grill the pieces or shallow-fry them. I usually use Air Fryer to grill them. It takes about 5-8 minutes and you’ll get a nice golden color.I don’t add any cream to the dish. The Palak Paneer tastes great even without cream and has fewer calories. In India, Saag or any other spinach dish is not considered complete unless there’s desi ghee in it. Ghee enhances the flavor of the dish and makes it yummier. But if you want the recipe to be Vegan, don’t add it or add vegan Butter.
Serve Instant Pot Palak Paneer with Indian Chapatti (Roti), Naan, or steamed rice. Everything goes well with this spinach-based curry. If you have some leftover Palak Paneer, you can store it in a refrigerator or a freezer. You can store some leftover Palak Paneer in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. And in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. When re-using, just warm it or boil in a microwave or stove-top and eat it with rice or naan.
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