This quick and easy Spinach & Potato (Aloo Palak) curry recipe is healthy, full of authentic flavor, and naturally vegetarian (or vegan, if you omit the ghee).
Aloo Palak – One of the rare dishes I make very frequently.
Because a) I truly, whole-heartedly love spinach… for its taste, health benefits and versatility (spinach cake, anyone?) and b) I always have spinach in the fridge; and if it starts to wilt, this is my favorite way to use it.
I’ve tried cooking Aloo Palak in countless ways…With less onion, more onion, yes tomatoes, no tomatoes, tomato paste instead of tomatoes, butter at the end, without chopping the spinach (bad idea), adding potatoes before the spinach, less oil, more oil, covered, uncovered…andddd you’re asleep. 🙂
This method I’m sharing is the culmination of all my Aloo Palak experiments. It’s a solid recipe that I use when I want to make sure I make a mean Aloo Palak. And if you’re wondering why I settled for this particular way of cooking my spinach & potatoes…Laziness is why. I just boil the potatoes while I’m cooking the spinach curry.
The other, more serious reason is that this method of cooking spinach (leaving it uncovered) ensures that the spinach and all its goodness doesn’t just cook ’till death. The color, nutrients, and taste remain in-tact.
To recap, here are a few tips to making this spinach and potato curry:
- I leave the pan uncovered while cooking the spinach, adding water as necessary to cook it down. This ensures that the spinach retains its vibrant green color, taste, and nutrients. However, I’ve included the option to cover if you feel the spinach needs to cook further.
- Different types of spinach will require different cook times. Baby spinach cooks faster while bunch spinach takes a bit more time.
- This curry is unique in that the potatoes boil on the side while you’re preparing the curry, reducing any extra time to wait on the potatoes. If you prefer, you may add skip boiling the potatoes and add them after cooking down the spinach. Add 1/4 cup water along with the potatoes, and cover, and allow them to cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes, or until tender.
More Vegetarian Curry Recipes:
Cauliflower & Potato Curry (Aloo Gobi) – with a secret ingredient
Smoked Eggplant Curry (Baingan Bharta)
If you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments below and tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations. I love hearing from you!
Aloo Palak (Easy Spinach and Potato Curry)
Ingredients
- 1 pound (16-oz package) of prewashed organic baby spinach OR 2 small organic bunches of spinach (500 grams), washed, rinsed, and stems removed
- 1 large potato peeled and cubed
- 3-4 tbsp neutral oil such as grapeseed or avocado
- 1 tbsp ghee optional
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1-2 green chili peppers slit in half
- 3-4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/2 inch piece ginger crushed
- 1 medium to large tomato finely chopped (about 170 grams)
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- ¾ tsp salt or more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
Instructions
- Finely chop the spinach leaves using the pulse function of a food processor*. You can do this in advance and store it, covered, in the refrigerator. Set aside.
- Boil the cubed potato with 1 tsp salt until very tender. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat oil and ghee in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds. Give them a few seconds to sizzle. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until slightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Add the slit green chili pepper, garlic, and ginger and cook until the raw smell disappears, about 20 seconds. Lower the heat and add the chopped tomato, spice powders, and salt. Cook until the tomato becomes soft and the oil starts to leave the sides, about 3 minutes.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the spinach. Stir-fry it until it loses its moisture, about 5 minutes for baby spinach and 10 minutes for bunch spinach. Add water as needed to prevent the spinach from sticking to the bottom. If you feel that it still isn't cooked, add a bit of water, cover, and cook on low heat for an additional 3-5 minutes. When the spinach is cooked, add the boiled potatoes and stir to coat the potatoes with the spinach. Adjust salt, if needed. Turn off the heat and sprinkle lime or lemon juice.
- Serve hot with roti, naan, rice or bread. You can also serve yogurt and chopped red onions on the side, if desired.
Notes
Enjoy!
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This is a restaurant-quality meal! So savory and complex – thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It is absolutely delicious.
Delighted to hear that! Thanks, Kaia!!
I made this today and it was absolutely lovely, I have saved this recipe and will certainly be making this again, so easy to make and followed the recipe to the letter, very impressed.
So glad to hear that, Keith! Thanks so much for the review!
I want to make for 100 do you know roughly how much I will need pls? Doesn’t say how many this dish is for?
Rach, the recipe serves 3-4. For such a large quantity, I’d recommend using frozen spinach and cooking it down well.
Hi there I am excited to try this for dinner tomorrow night and am preparing today. I wondered how many people this recipe served ??? I am doing a dinner party so might need to increase !
Hi Monica, it serves 3-4 people. If you are serving it as a side amongst more dishes, it can probably stretch to 5. Best of luck!
This recipe deserves 10 stars : )
The spices so ridiculously delicious and rich in taste.
Thank you
Thanks so much, Riyadh!! So happy to hear that!!
Hi
i cooked this yesterday and WOW!!! it came out devine! Even my Mother in law who’s a fussy vegetarian eater and since i’m not good with Indian foods gave me a huge compliment 🙂 Thank u for sharing this recipie, i loved it!
Chani D
I”m so glad to hear that!! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing and for the review!
Great recipe! I enjoy how nice Pakistani food I can make thanks to your recipes. 😊 thank you
I’m so glad to hear that, Aisha. Thank you for your review!
This recipe is so easy to make and is DELICIOUS (and this is coming from an avid meat eater). Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Yayy! Very happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing your review!
I loved your spinach-aloo recipe, so does my hubby. Today I will make the same recipe once again. 🙂
Thank you,
M
Thanks so much, Emm! I’m so glad to hear that!! Thank you for sharing!
When I was making it, the second the green chilli hit the oil, I was already in love with it. The aroma alone was SO satisfying. Your recipes are ones my WHOLE FAMILY loves, even my picky eater kids.
I’d be jealous if I wasn’t so grateful that you’re getting my kids to eat their vegetables!
Jazakallahukhairan, and God Bless my dear!
Your comments warm my heart. I’m very glad you all liked it. Thank you so much, Becky!
for your thorough testing of this one alone I am trying it pronto! looks so yummy!
Thank you! Please let me know how you like it!