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    Home » Recipes » Curry

    Instant Pot Saag Paneer

    June 28, 2022 . By Meeta Arora . 60 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    Saag Palak Paneer Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.

    Saag Paneer is the authentic North Indian favorite. It is made with cooking mustard leaves and spinach with spices and cottage cheese, which makes it a delicious and nutritious dish. Make it in the instant pot for a quick and easy one-pot recipe.

    Saag Palak Paneer Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    "Sarson ka saag te makki di roti", which means mustard saag with bread made from corn meal, is what my Punjabi family loves for a scrumptious weekend meal.  This is a very common meal made in villages in Punjab.

    Mustard leaves have a a very interesting taste, they are slightly bitter but still very pleasing to the palate. See picutre below. That is one of the main reasons to cook them with spinach. I like to prepare saag with both mustard leaves and spinach, it gives the more authentic taste.  If you don't have mustard leaves at hand, you can prepare it with only spinach as well.  But I warn you, it tastes so much better with mustard leaves.

    Saag is such a favorite. I have a variety of Saag recipes in case you want to try variations - Saag Aloo, Palak Tofu, Palak Paneer and Saag Chicken.

    Mustard Greens

    You can eat saag as is, without any additions to it.  In this recipe, I have added paneer to the saag as my daughter loves it.  To make it vegan, you can skip the paneer or replace it with tofu.

    Some people add radishes and/or broccoli while preparing saag, which is great too.  You can also add cauliflower.  It helps to get a thicker texture. Radishes help to reduce the bitter taste and balance the flavor. I like to add broccoli when I am making plain saag without paneer. Broccoli/Cauliflower can be added in addition to the greens. Add them before the pressure cooking step.

    How to make Saag Paneer in Instant Pot? 

    This is a very quick, one-pot recipe.  Start the instant pot and add in the ghee, green chili, ginger and garlic.  Then add in the chopped onions and sauté for a few minutes.  The ingredients can be cut into large pieces as we are going to blend them later.

    Saag Paneer Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Steps

    Then add in the mustard, spinach leaves, water and pressure cook for 4 minutes.  Release the pressure naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.  Add in the corn meal (makai ka aata) and use the immersion blender to grind it to a smooth paste.  You can also use a normal blender to grind and then transfer the saag back to the instant pot.

    Saag Paneer Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Steps

    Add in the paneer and cook it for a few minutes.  Saag Paneer is ready to be served.

    Saag Palak Paneer Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    Serve saag paneer with makki ki roti or naan.  Add in a dollop of ghee or butter and enjoy!

    Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
    Saag Palak Paneer Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    Instant Pot Saag Paneer

    Meeta Arora
    Saag Paneer is the authentic North Indian favorite. It is made with cooking mustard leaves and spinach with spices and cottage cheese, which makes it a delicious and nutritious dish. Make it in the instant pot for a quick and easy one-pot recipe.
    4.83 from 52 votes
    Print Save Saved! Pin
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 319
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: North Indian
    Diet: Gluten-free, Nut-free, Vegetarian
    Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 15 mins
    Total Time: 25 mins

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil
    • ¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
    • 2 Green Chili Pepper optional, adjust to taste*
    • 1" inch Ginger chopped
    • 10 cloves Garlic chopped
    • 2 Onion medium sized. Cut into large pieces
    • 1 bunch Mustard leaves (Sarson) chopped. About 9oz
    • 1 bunch Spinach (Palak) chopped. About 9oz
    • ¼ cup Water
    • 10 ounces Paneer or Cottage cheese cut into small pieces
    • 2 tablespoon Corn meal (Makai ka aata) fine ground

    Spices

    • ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
    • ½ teaspoon Cayenne or Red Chili powder
    • 2 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
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    Instructions
     

    • Heat ghee in the instant pot in saute mode. Add jeera, green chili, ginger and garlic.
    • Once the ginger and garlic turns golden brown, add the chopped onions. Saute for 3 minutes.
    • Add the spices to the instant pot. Then add the mustard greens, spinach and water.
    • Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode for 4 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, do a 5 minute NPR, which means release the pressure manually after 5 mins. Turn off the instant pot.
    • Add in the corn flour. Use an immersion blender to blend the saag to a smooth paste.
    • Turn on the instant pot in saute mode. Add in the paneer and cook for about 3 minutes.
    • Saag Paneer is ready to be served.

    Notes

    Vegan Variation: To make this recipe vegan, you can skip the paneer or replace it with tofu.
    Green Chili Pepper: I typically use Thai, Birdeye or Serrano Chili Pepper in my recipes. Don't forget to adjust to your taste. 
    Add Radishes, Broccoli, or Cauliflower: Some people add radishes, or broccoli while preparing saag, which is great too.  You can also add cauliflower.  It helps to get a thicker texture.  I like to add broccoli when I am making plain saag without paneer.
    No mustard leaves: Make saag with spinach. Just double the quantity of spinach and keep the other ingredients the same.
    Created: This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker. 
     

    Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 319kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 14gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 750mgPotassium: 625mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 8058IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 455mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword instant pot, one pot, pressure cooker, punjabi
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

    You might also like these North Indian recipes made in the Instant Pot:

    • Paneer Butter Masala
    • Mom's Chicken Curry
    • Punjabi Chole
    • Aloo Beans

    More Curry Recipes

    • Mushroom Matar Masala (Instant Pot & Stovetop)
    • Bharwa Karela
    • Lauki Kofta
    • Bhindi do Pyaza
    2.3K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Menaka says

      April 13, 2022 at 5:53 pm

      Hey I love this recipe and had a question about the macros. What is the per serving quantity?

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        April 19, 2022 at 11:24 am

        Hi Menaka - About 1 cup of saag paneer is one serving. I do want to mention that the nutrition values are using a calculator, so please do recheck with your favorite tool if you are watching your diet.

        Reply
    2. Stacey says

      April 03, 2022 at 7:52 am

      Hi Meeta,
      I know that this may sound silly, but I live in an area with a lot of Hispanic grocery stores. What kind of green chili are you talking about? Jalepeno, or some other kind?
      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        April 19, 2022 at 6:42 am

        Hi Stacey - Not silly at all. I get this question many times, and have been updating recipes to include the details. I added to notes that typically use thai, birdseye or Serrano pepper. Do adjust the amount to your taste as the size of the green chili peppers can vary a lot.

        Reply
    3. Maria says

      January 29, 2022 at 3:57 pm

      Hi Meeta,

      Just left a review for your Instant Pot tarka dal which was delicious. Rinsed out the IP and then made this using paneer that had been in the freezer (not sure how long it had been there either 🙂 and cooked spinach left over from dinner a few nights ago and added other components. Also pulled naan from the freezer and popped under broiler. Dinner was amazing. Thanks for such incredible recipes that never seem to fail.

      Maria

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        February 12, 2022 at 8:15 pm

        Hi Maria - Thank you so much for taking the time to review the recipes. So glad that you all enjoyed the Indian dinner.

        Reply
    4. Shivangi says

      December 05, 2021 at 9:33 am

      Just made this and WOW!!!! Delicious and perfect! Tastes like it’s from a restaurant! In fact - better than many restaurants 🙂 Thank you!!

      FYI I added kalonji to the tadka and it adds a very nice flavor!

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        December 06, 2021 at 12:20 pm

        Hi, That makes me really happy. Thank you for sharing it back 🙂

        Reply
    5. Dilini says

      July 12, 2021 at 4:26 pm

      Can I use frozen spinach for this recipe? What would be the quantities?
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        July 13, 2021 at 11:30 am

        Hi Dilini - You can use the same amount or a little less of frozen spinach in this recipe. Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    6. Swapna says

      August 23, 2020 at 4:07 pm

      Can I make this with frozen mustard and spinach leaves. If so, what is the cook time?

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        August 27, 2020 at 7:10 am

        Hi Swapna - I have not tried, but have seen many people use frozen spinach/mustard in saag, so give it a try. I would keep the water amount same, we are not adding much already. Would love to hear how it turns out. Thank you!

        Reply
    7. Juhi says

      June 20, 2020 at 4:32 pm

      Can I subsitute cornflour with all purpose flour?

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        June 23, 2020 at 1:20 am

        Hi Juhi - I dont think all purpose flour will work well in this recipe. You can skip adding the flour if you don't have corn flour (makai ka aata).

        Reply
      • Danielle says

        August 25, 2020 at 10:59 am

        Hello! I’ve just started getting your recipes and LOVE them! In this one, can normal American courage cheese be used? At restaurants I’ve just had it with paneer.

        Reply
        • Meeta Arora says

          August 27, 2020 at 7:22 am

          Hi Danielle - Thank you! The normal American cottage cheese will not work in this recipe, as we want firm cheese. Halloumi cheese and firm tofu are some options. You can also make paneer at home if you like. There are many recipes to make it in the instant pot. Hope you enjoy the saag!

    8. Megan says

      May 26, 2020 at 8:56 pm

      This is such a delicious recipe! We made it tonight with cottage cheese, broccoli, and chickpeas. It’s become one of our staples and so I thought it was high time I left a comment 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your creations!

      Reply
    9. Veena says

      March 21, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      Can I sub flour if I don't have cornmeal?

      Reply
    10. Tammie Duckworth says

      February 06, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      Outstanding recipe. I used spinach and kale since that is what I had on hand. Also realized at the last minute that I was out of cayenne pepper so I subbed crushed red pepper. Added a splash of heavy cream while blending simply because I prefer it that way.
      Even with my substitutions it was excellent.

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        February 26, 2020 at 7:28 pm

        Hi Tammie - Glad to gear you enjoyed the Saag.

        Reply
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