Fast Curries
This Mughlai Palak – Instant Pot Spinach with onions is one of my favorite spinach recipes, and it’s very straight-forward to make!
When any dish envelopes a boatload of greenery, it’s good for you, right? Plus, the name of the dish is fancy 😊
What is Mughlai Palak – Instant Pot Spinach with Onions?
Mughlai food consists of recipes / food developed in Medieval India during the Mughal Empire. Mughlai food is very popular in the Northern part of India. I am a Kashmiri pandit and I feel our food is very similar to Mughlai food. We use a lot of nuts, whole spices and saffron in our cooking.
Some people like to use whole spices like black and green cardamom pods in this recipe. However, I have eliminated it in the recipe since I don’t like biting into whole spices while eating spinach. This recipe is very basic and simple, yet very flavorful.
How do I make Mughlai Palak – Instant Pot Spinach with Onions?
Firstly, rinse the baby spinach well in cold water. There is no need to chop it. We will blend it later. Additionally, you can use regular spinach instead of baby spinach. If you don’t have an immersion blender then chop the spinach finely, while using regular or baby spinach.
Secondly, select sauté on the Instant Pot. Thirdly, add in oil to the pot. Further, add in chopped onion and ginger paste. Let the onions sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until golden.
Next in 30 seconds, add in spinach and stir well. Let the spinach sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, keep stirring intermittently. Moreover, the spinach should shrivel.
Once it shrivels add in salt, sugar, and ½ cup water. Stir well. Using an immersion blender blend coarsely blend the spinach for a few seconds. Also, don’t blend it super fine. It needs to have some texture. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a potato masher or the back of a ladle.
Further add in the chopped serrano peppers. Stir well. Press cancel. And, secure the lid on the pot and select manual/high pressure for 3 minutes. When done quick release the pressure.
Open the lid, add in garam masala and stir well. Finally, transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with steamed rice or roti.
Tried this recipe yet? Give us a rating, comment below in the reply section and let us know what you think.
Try some of our other recipes:
Instant Pot Kashmiri Goat Yakhni / Instant Pot Yogurt Goat Curry
Instant Pot Authentic Kashmiri Rogan Josh / Instant Pot Quick Kashmiri Goat Curry
Instant Pot Mughlai Gosht / Instant Pot Quick Mughlai Goat Curry
Mughlai Palak – Instant Pot Spinach with Onions
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby spinach (454 grams)
- 3.5 tbsp oil of choice
- 1/2 onion (1/2 cup chopped)
- 1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 serrano peppers, small (hari mirch) (1/2 tbsp chopped)
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
Instructions
Prep
- Firstly, rinse the baby spinach well in cold water. There is no need to chop it. We will blend it later. Additionally, you can use regular spinach instead of baby spinach. If you don’t have an immersion blender then chop the spinach finely, while using regular or baby spinach.
- Rinse and chop the serrano peppers and onions.
Cook
- Select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal. Add in oil to the pot. Further, add in chopped onion and ginger paste. Let the onions sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until golden.
- Next in 30 seconds, add in spinach and stir well. Let the spinach sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, keep stirring intermittently. The spinach should shrivel.
- Further add in the chopped serrano peppers. Stir well. Press cancel. And, secure the lid on the pot and select manual/high pressure for 3 minutes. When done quick release the pressure.
- Open the lid, add in garam masala and stir well. Finally, transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with steamed rice or roti.
Notes
- On a scale of 1 to 5 in terms of spice levels I would place this dish at 3, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. You can reduce or eliminate the serrano peppers as per your spice tolerance.
- I have used fresh baby spinach. You can use regular spinach too. I have just thrown in spinach in the IP and blended it later. If you are using regular spinach, I recommend chopping the leaves.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender then please chop baby leaves prior to cooking as well. You can then use a potato masher or spoon to crush them.
