Craving a comforting restaurant-style Indian potato curry with simple ingredients? This Saag Aloo recipe brings together earthy potatoes and fresh spinach in a gently spiced gravy.
My Meal Pairing Tip: Serve this curry with steamed basmati rice or soft Indian flatbread roti and dal tadka for a cozy restaurant-style dinner at home.
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Ingredients
Potatoes: I used white potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch cubes. Substitutions: Any variety of potato, sweet potatoes.
Spinach: I used fresh spinach puree. Substitutions: Mix of other leafy greens like kale, mustard greens, fenugreek leaves, and Swiss chard. Frozen spinach also works well in this recipe.
Onion: I used finely chopped onions. Substitutions: ½ teaspoon of onion powder or shallots.
Green chili: A green chili pepper adds a spicy kick to the curry (use it to your heat preference). Substitutions: Use serrano or jalapeño for similar heat, or add a pinch of red chili powder or paprika if fresh chilies aren’t available.
Garlic & Ginger: I used freshly grated garlic and ginger to flavor the curry. Substitutions: ¼ teaspoon each of garlic and ginger powder or ½ teaspoon of ginger garlic paste.
Spice powders: I used a blend of common Indian spices (turmeric, red chili powder, ground cumin, coriander, and garam masala) to season the dish, giving it heat, color, and rich flavor. Substitutions: Curry powder as per taste.
For exact ingredient quantities, see the recipe card below.
Detailed Steps
Step 1: Heat oil in an Instant Pot (saute mode) or stovetop pan. Add cumin seeds, garlic, and ginger. Let them sizzle.
Step 2: Add chopped onions and green chili (if using). Saute until onions are translucent.
Step 3: Now add potato cubes and mix them well.
Step 4: Add all the spice powders and salt. Stir it well so that the spices are coated well with the potatoes.
Step 5: Then goes the water.
Step 6: Now cook until potatoes are fork tender.
In Instant Pot: High pressure, 0 minutes + 10-minute natural release.
On stovetop: Medium heat for 15 minutes, adding water if needed.
Step 7: Once the potatoes are almost cooked, add spinach puree. Simmer for 2–3 minutes.
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Recipe
Saag Aloo – Indian Spinach Potato Curry for Rice or Roti
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Instructions
Prep the ingredients
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Finely chop the onions, ginger, and garlic. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes.
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Clean the spinach leaves and puree them. If using green chili, blend it with the spinach or add it later during tempering.
Saute the base
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Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and heat the oil. (Or heat oil in a stovetop pan.)
1 tablespoon oil
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Add cumin seeds, garlic, and ginger. Let them sizzle for a few seconds.
½ teaspoon garlic, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
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Add chopped onions and green chili (if using). Saute for 3–4 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
½ cup onion, 1 green chili
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Add the potato cubes and stir well.
1 cup potatoes
Add spices, water and salt
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Mix in spice powders. Stir well so the potatoes are evenly coated.
¼ teaspoon red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
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Pour in water and add salt. Stir everything well. If using an Instant Pot, deglaze the bottom to avoid a burn warning.
¼ cup water, ½ teaspoon salt
Cook the potatoes
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Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 0 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.
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On the stovetop, cook covered on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Add water as needed.
Notes
- Skip the red chili powder and use green chili if you prefer a vibrant green color.
- Chop the potatoes into 1-inch cubes, so they cook evenly and quickly.
- I sometimes add a handful of mint and cilantro leaves to the spinach puree to make this curry more flavorful.
- If I make saag aloo in the Instant Pot, I always add the spinach puree after the pressure cook step to retain the spinach’s color.
- You can also finely chop the spinach instead of making spinach puree. The curry will have a chunkier texture with a different consistency.
- To make the curry creamy like in restaurants, add ¼ cup of regular cream, cashew cream, or thick coconut milk at the end.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice before serving for a fresh finish.
Nutrition
Calories: 96kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 369mgPotassium: 502mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 4029IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg