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4.9 from 768 votes

Instant Pot Palak Paneer Recipe (Pressure Cooker)

A North Indian favorite with spinach and cottage cheese, Palak Paneer. Make this instant pot palak paneer as a one-pot dish, super easy and delicious!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 417 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Spinach (Palak) washed
  • 2 cups Paneer or Cottage cheese cut in bite sized cubes
  • 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 1 green chili pepper chopped
  • 1 onion medium, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1" inch ginger chopped
  • 1 tomato medium, chopped
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
Spices
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili powder (Mirchi powder)
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
  • 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Start the instant pot in sauté mode. Heat oil and add cumin seeds.
  2. When cumin seeds start to splutter, add ginger, garlic, green chili and onions. Sauté for 2 minutes.
  3. Add tomato and spices. Stir and let it cook for 2 minutes. 
  4. Add water and deglaze the pot (see notes). Add in the spinach. Press cancel and close the instant pot lid with vent in sealing position. Set on manual or pressure cook mode on high pressure for 2 minutes.
  5. Once the instant pot beeps, do a 5 minute natural pressure release, which means release the pressure manually 5 minutes after the beep. 
  6. Blend the ingredients in the pot to a creamy texture using an immersion blender.
  7. Add the paneer and garam masala. Let it sit for 5 minutes, so the paneer soaks in the flavors.
  8. Palak Paneer is ready to be served with naan, roti or paratha.

Notes

  • Burn message: If your instant pot is a newer model and you have seen burn message before, then add 1/2 cup water.
  • Stovetop Variation: The exact same preparation can be done in a sauce pan or stovetop pressure cooker. Do not use a non-stick pan, if you plan to use an immersion blender to puree the spinach. 
  • Fry Paneer: This is a personal preference. If you like to fry the paneer, you can fry in 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan or air fry it. Then add the fried paneer to the blended spinach. 
  • Frozen Spinach: You can use frozen spinach in this recipe. The same cooking time should work well. The instant pot might just take longer to come to pressure. 
  • Frozen Paneer: If using frozen paneer, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Then use it as suggested. 
  • Green Chili Pepper: I typically use Thai, Birdeye or Serrano Chili Pepper in my recipes. Don't forget to adjust to your taste. 
  • Created: This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Programmable Pressure Cooker.

Nutrition Information

Calories 417kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 20g (40%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 19g (95%) Cholesterol 83mg (28%) Sodium 747mg (31%) Potassium 770mg (22%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 10990IU (220%) Vitamin C 41.5mg (46%) Calcium 673mg (67%) Iron 3.9mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 417

% Daily Value*

Calories 417kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Protein 20g 40%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 19g 95%
Cholesterol 83mg 28%
Sodium 747mg 31%
Potassium 770mg 16%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 10990IU 220%
Vitamin C 41.5mg 46%
Calcium 673mg 67%
Iron 3.9mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.