Name: Instant Pot Palak Paneer
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ tablespoons butter (divided (or use ghee or coconut oil)); 2 cups cubed paneer; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 teaspoon chopped ginger; 2 teaspoons chopped garlic; 1 jalapeno or serrano chile (chopped); ½ cup chopped onion; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt; 1 pound spinach; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala; 2 teaspoons lime juice; 2 tablespoons cream (plus additional for garnish (or use coconut milk))

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Instant Pot Palak Paneer is a flavorful Indian curry dish of Paneer (Indian farmer’s cheese) simmered in a delicious sauce of spinach and aromatic spices.

A bowl of green curry with tofu and lemons cooked in an instant pot.

It’s a delicious and satisfying a delicious vegetarian meal when served with rice, nan, paratha, or roti. It's one of my favorite Indian recipes.

A while back, I posted an easy Palak Paneer recipe for cooking on the stove top and using my recipe for Homemade Paneer. This easy Instant Pot Palak Paneer takes just 15 minutes to make in the pressure cooker. The result is just as flavorful and has the same luscious bright green color.

low angle shot of a bowl of palak paneer in front of an Instant Pot

What is Paneer and where can you get it?

Paneer is a fresh Indian cheese (Indian cottage cheese), similar to farmer’s cheese. You can buy paneer in any South Asian or Indian grocery store or online.

For this Instant Pot Palak Paneer recipe, you can use homemade paneer or buy paneer at an Indian or South Asian grocery store or online.

Homemade paneer is softer, creamier, and less dense than the store-bought version. If you use store-bought paneer, it’s best to soak it in hot water for about 15 minutes before draining and cooking.

To make this Instant Pot Palak Paneer, the cubed paneer is first lightly browned in oil and then simmered in a spinach-based sauce with punchy Indian spices.

What's not to love? The flavor is rich and creamy. Cooked into the curried spinach sauce, it becomes tender and, although it seems impossible, even more creamy.

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make instant pot palak paneer

What ingredients do you need to make Instant Pot palak paneer?

Some Indian curry dishes require long lists of spices that you may or may not have in your pantry, especially if you don’t cook Indian food frequently.

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This one is simpler and requires only a couple of spices, Indian paneer, and other simple ingredients like spinach, garlic, and yogurt. (Note that the complete ingredient list with measurements is included in the recipe card below.)

Butter, ghee, or coconut oil — Any of these will work to sauté the aromatics. Ghee adds richness, butter is classic, and coconut oil keeps it dairy-free.
Paneer — You can use store-bought or homemade paneer. Cut it into cubes so it soaks up the spiced spinach sauce.
Cumin seeds and ground cumin — A one-two punch of warm, earthy flavor. The seeds bloom in the fat, and the ground cumin deepens the taste.
Fresh ginger — Grated or minced, it brings heat and brightness to the dish.
Fresh garlic — Adds savory depth. Use plenty for full flavor.
Green chilies — Jalapeño or serrano both work. Use more or less depending on your heat tolerance. If you don't have fresh chiles, you can substitute a spicy red chili powder like Kashmiri chili powder.
Onion — Chopped and sautéed until golden. It forms the base of the sauce.
All-purpose flour — Just a bit to help thicken the sauce without changing the flavor.
Plain whole-milk yogurt — For tang and creaminess. Don’t skip it—it balances the richness of the paneer and greens.
Fresh spinach — A whole lot of it. It cooks down into that signature creamy green sauce. You can use frozen spinach in a pinch, but be sure to thaw it and squeeze out any excess water.
Kosher salt — Season as you go to keep the flavors layered and balanced.
Garam masala — A warming spice blend that gives the dish its finishing hit of complexity. This spice mixture is similar to curry powder, but it contains a different mix of spices usually including cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, mace, and nutmeg. Garam masala doesn't contain turmeric, so it doesn't have a yellow color like other curry powders.

How to Make Instant Pot Palak Paneer

This Instant Pot Palak Paneer recipe is quick and easy to make. Here’s how (note that step-by-step instructions are included in the recipe card below):

Use the saute function to brown the paneer pieces in the Instant Pot.
Brown the onions along with the cumin and aromatics in the Instant Pot also using the saute mode.
Add yogurt, flour, spinach, salt, and a little water to the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 2 minutes.
Quick release the pressure, then add a bit of additional water and then use a hand blender or a regular blender to blend until smooth.
Select the sauté function and heat the pot again and add garam masala, lime juice, and the browned paneer and bring to a simmer.
Stir in the cream and serve hot.

low angle shot of a bowl of palak paneer

What do you serve it with?

A saucy dish like Instant Pot Palak Paneer begs for bread or rice to soak up the deliciousness. Serve this with warm Garlic Naan, roti, or paratha, or serve it ladled over jeera rice or basmati rice.

I love to make a big Indian meal and include this Instant Pot Palak Paneer along with other Indian curries, Instant Pot Biryani, Chicken 65, or Tandoori Chicken, and a cooling Cilantro Yogurt Chutney or Raita.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAAG PANEER AND PALAK PANEER?

You may see dishes with these two names listed on the menu at your favorite Indian restaurants. The two dishes are similar. The big difference is that saag refers to any type of leafy greens (kale, chard, mustard greens, or collard greens as well as spinach leaves), while palak is spinach.