Aloo Palak | Indian Spinach Potato Recipe

Aloo Palak is healthy, gluten-free, vegan, and easy to whip up using a handful of fresh ingredients. This authentic and simple Spinach and Potato recipe will win your hearts! Eat it as is, or with Roti (flatbread) or Daal Chawal (Rice and lentil soup) for a wholesome meal.

Jump to:

• Aloo Palak-Indian Spinach and Potatoes
• What's in This Spinach Potato Recipe?
• How to Make Aloo Palak-Step-by-Step Instructions
• Tip for Spinach-Potato
• What to Serve Aloo Palak with
• More Indian Vegetarian Recipes
• Aloo Palak | Indian Spinach Potato Recipe

Aloo Palak-Indian Spinach and Potatoes

Aloo translates to Potato and Palak translates to Spinach. The combination of spinach and potato is truly out-of-this-world delicious.

My Ammi made aloo palak during the Spring a lot. This recipe was her favorite way to feed us spinach. Aloo palak mixed with Dal Chawal takes the meal to the next level. I promise!

I’ve tried cooking Aloo Palak in many different ways but Ammi's method of cooking aloo palak sabzi is the way I like it best. This recipe is super easy to follow and tastes phenomenal.

What's in This Spinach Potato Recipe?

No fancy ingredient hunting is needed for this delicious recipe. All the ingredients are easily found at any major grocery store throughout the US. Spices can be purchased from the Amazon.

Produce:

• Spinach: any variety of spinach is great for this recipe. I like to use baby spinach from Costco. Large leafy spinach with stems from a regular store is great as well.
• Potato: I like using gold potatoes or red potatoes for this recipe. I have tried russet/Idaho potatoes but I did not appreciate the texture of them with spinach.
• Tomato: vine tomatoes or Roma tomatoes are great. I like diced tomatoes for this recipe.
• Onion: diced yellow onion or shallot is an excellent option.
• Garlic: I love adding lots of roughly chopped garlic to this recipe. For each half pound of spinach, I use 4 cloves of garlic.
• Ginger: freshly grated ginger gives a delicious savory flavor to this recipe.

Spices:

• Kashmiri Chili Powder: following my mother's footsteps, I only use Kashmiri chili powder for Indian cooking. The flavor and beautiful color of Kashmiri chili powder are hands down the best.
• Cumin-Coriander Powder: I make homemade cumin-coriander powder. Indian stores usually carry cumin-coriander powder separately. That's why I always keep separate measurements for them in my recipes. Let me know in the comments if you would like me to share the cumin-coriander powder recipe.
• Turmeric: turmeric powder is a must-have for Indian cooking.
• Salt: I like using pink salt. It has a beautiful earthy & intense flavor to it. Table salt or Kosher salt is fine as well. You might need to adjust the salt measurements accordingly.
• Cumin Seeds: adding cumin seeds is optional but I highly recommend them for tempering.

How to Make Aloo Palak-Step-by-Step Instructions

• Heat the oil on medium-high heat and add cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds start to change color add diced onions and whole red chilies. Cook onion until it becomes slightly golden for about 2-3 minutes.

• Once the onion is slightly golden, add roughly chopped garlic and grated ginger to the pan. Sautee ginger & garlic for a few seconds. We don't want the garlic to turn brown at all.

• Add diced tomatoes, all the powdered spices, and salt to taste. Cook on medium heat while stirring in between the cooking until tomatoes soften.

• Add cubed potatoes now. Mix well until potatoes are coated with sauce. Turn the heat down to low. Cover the pan and cook on low for 7-9 minutes or just until potatoes are tender.

• Uncover and check the potatoes in between cooking. If needed add 1-2 tablespoons of water to speed up the cooking process.

• Once the potatoes are tender, add all the roughly chopped spinach. Cover the pan and let the spinach wilt for easy mixing.

• Uncover the pan and mix everything gently. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until all the water from the spinach completely evaporates. Takes about 3-5 minutes depending on your stove.

Tip for Spinach-Potato

1. Baby Spinach Tip: Baby spinach cooks faster than larger spinach leaves. Adjust cooking time accordingly, as larger leaves have more water content and take longer to cook.
2. Potato Preparation: Cut potatoes into small pieces for quicker cooking. Cooking them in oil and tomato sauce enhances their flavor. Avoid pre-boiling potatoes, as they can become mushy and won't soak up the delicious flavors of the sauce and spices.
3. Pan Size: Use a large pan to cook spinach. Spinach shrinks when cooked, so a big pan gives it space to shrink properly. Also, mixing the sauce and spices in a larger pan is easier.
4. Creamy Option: Add coconut or heavy cream to the dish for a milder, creamier curry. While this is not the authentic way, it adds richness and a creamy texture to the curry, appealing to the non-Indian palate.

What to Serve Aloo Palak with

This Aloo palak is more of a stir-fried type of curry. It is a loved and adored vegetarian dish in India. Indians love serving aloo-palak with Roti (flatbread) and Dal-Chawal.

Make dal tadka and plain rice to go with Aloo-Palak.

Other Indian recipes you might like.

More Indian Vegetarian Recipes

• Aloo Matar Gobi (Cauliflower and Potatoes)
• Chicken and Potato Curry
• Palak Paneer (Spinach and Indian Cheese)
• Roasted Potatoes with Coriander
• Potato Samosa
• Masala Potatoes