aloo palak recipe with step by step photos – there are many ways of making aloo palak or spinach potato recipe and here is one delicious version.
this is not a dry version. this aloo palak has the consistency of palak paneer. in this recipe, the spinach is pureed instead of being chopped. for dry version, you can check this dry aloo palak sabzi recipe.
this aloo palak recipe is similar to the way i make palak paneer. the potatoes are boiled first and then added towards the end. the dish pairs well with rotis, phulkas or naan. even good with some steamed rice or jeera rice. i had made parathas and a side onion-cucumber salad to go with the aloo palak.
to give a hint of sweetness in the palak, i have added gram flour (besan). if you add gram flour or maize flour (makai ka atta), the gravy get slightly sweet tones. you can also add cream if you prefer instead of gram flour or maize flour.
if you are looking for more curry recipes then do check:
aloo palak
INGREDIENTS FOR aloo palak
- 1 bunch palak (spinach) or 200 grams palak
- 3 medium sized potatoes (aloo)
- 1 medium sized onion - finely chopped
- 1 medium sized tomato - chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger- garlic paste 3 garlic (lahsun) + ½ inch ginger (adrak) - crushed or made into a paste in a mortar-pestle
- 1 or 2 green chilies (hari mirch)
- 3 cloves (lavang)
- 1 inch cinnamon stick (dalchini) - broken
- 1 small tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1.5 tablespoon besan (gram flour) OR makai ka atta (maize flour)
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoon ghee or oil or butter
- ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) - optional
- salt as required
- a few ginger julienne for garnishing
HOW TO MAKE aloo palak
boiling aloo
- boil the potatoes or aloo in a pressure cooker or steamer till the are completely cooked.
- peel and quarter or dice them. keep aside covered.
blanching palak for aloo palak
- boil 2 to 3 cups water with some salt.
- switch off the fire and immediately add the palak or spinach.
- cover with a lid, blanch the spinach in water for 4-5 minutes.
- drain and immediately place the palak in cold water for 3-4 minutes.
- drain again and along with green chilies, make a smooth puree in a grinder or blender.
making masala for aloo palak
- heat ghee or oil or butter in a pan or kadai/wok.
- fry the bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon till they become aromatic.
- add the chopped onion and fry till light brown.
- now add the ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw aroma goes away.
- add the tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes become soft and mushy.
- the oil should start releasing from the mixture.
- now add the turmeric powder and asafoetida and stir for 5-10 seconds.
making aloo palak
- add the palak puree. stir well.
- add the besan or gram flour. stir with a wired whisk so that the besan dissolves and there are no lumps.
- alternatively, you can also dissolve the besan in 3-4 tbsp water and make a smooth paste. then add this paste to the palak mixture.
- stir and add 1 cup water. season with salt.
- simmer the palak gravy till the palak gets completely cooked.
- the gravy or sauce will slightly thicken.
- you can adjust the consistency by adding more or less water.
- add the cooked potatoes and simmer aloo palak gravy for 2-3 minutes more.
- sprinkle the garam masala powder & crushed kasuri methi leaves.
- stir and cook aloo palak gravy for a minute.
- serve aloo palak hot with some rotis, chapatis or parathas or jeera rice.
RECIPE TIPS
- you can also add cream if you prefer instead of gram flour or maize flour.
preparation to make aloo palak
1. boil or steam 3 medium sized potatoes in a pressure cooker or steamer.
2. pressure cook or steam till the potatoes are completely cooked.
3. then peel and quarter or dice the boiled potatoes. keep aside covered.
blanching palak for aloo palak
4. rinse 1 bunch of palak leaves (spinach) a couple of times in water and then drain very well.
5. in a pan, boil 2 to 3 cups water with some salt.
6. when the water comes to a boil, then switch off the fire and immediately add the palak or spinach leaves into the hot water.
7. cover with a lid and blanch the palak in hot water for 4 to 5 minutes.
8. drain and immediately place the palak leaves in cold water for 3 to 4 minutes. you can add few ice cubes to make the water cold.
9. drain again and along with 1 to 2 green chilies, make a smooth puree in a grinder or blender.
10. measure and keep all the ingredients ready for making aloo palak curry.
making masala for aloo palak
11. heat 2 tablespoon ghee or oil or butter in a pan or kadai (wok).
12. add 1 small tej patta (indian bay leaf), 3 cloves (lavang) and 1 broken cinnamon stick (dalchini) to the hot ghee.
13. fry till they become aromatic.
14. add 1 medium sized onion which is finely chopped.
15. fry till the onion turns light brown.
16. now add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
17. fry till the raw aroma goes away.
18. add 1 medium sized chopped tomato.
19. fry till the tomatoes become soft and mushy.
20. the oil should start releasing from the mixture.
21. now add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi) and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
22. stir for 5 to 10 seconds.
making aloo palak
23. add the palak puree.
24. stir well.
25. add 1.5 tablespoon besan or gram flour. instead of besan, you can also add 1.5 tablespoon maize flour (makai ka atta).
26. stir with a wired whisk or a wooden spatula so that the besan dissolves and there are no lumps. alternatively, you can also dissolve the besan in 3 to 4 tbsp water and make a smooth paste. then add this paste to the palak mixture.
27. add 1 cup water.
28. mix very well.
29. add salt and stir well.
30. simmer the palak gravy, till the palak gets completely cooked.
31. the palak gravy or sauce will slightly thicken.
32. you can adjust the consistency by adding more or less water. next add the cooked potatoes (aloo).
33. gently stir.
34. simmer aloo palak curry for 2-3 minutes more, till the color of the spinach changes.
35. sprinkle ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala powder & ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi leaves (dry fenugreek leaves).
36. stir and cook aloo palak gravy for a minute.
37. you can garnish aloo palak with ginger julienne, however its optional.
38. serve aloo palak hot with some rotis, chapatis or parathas or naan or jeera rice or saffron rice or tandoori rotis.
My kids don’t like to eat palak. I tried this recipe and it was a hit. It is easy to prepare.They liked it.Thank you😊
Toronto,
March 27, 2019
Very well described the recipe. Enjoyed preparing the same. I just added half spoon of roasted coriander seeds powder and a quarter teaspoon of roasted cumin seeds powder after sauteeing the tomatoes to enhance the flavor. It’s yummy. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
thanks for the rating and feedback. glad to know. yes, of course, both coriander powder and cumin powder can be added. welcome and happy cooking.
Very delicious. I added a cardamom with the cloves and cooked til puffed. I did not pre-boil the palak. I added it with some salt to the pan just before the turmeric and the asafoedita and stirred and wilted. Then I took my hand blender to the mix and added the dried spices after. It saves a ton of time. I stirred in the cup of water and boiled for a minute or two before adding the diced cooked potatoes. It was really delicious but I did miss the kasuri methi. Next time, I’ll make sure I have some in the house. 🙁 Thank you for a great, easy recipe!
thank you lisa for sharing your variations and suggestions. the method you have described sure is easy and saves time. am sure it will help the readers as well. next time do try adding kasuri methi. the aroma and flavor of kasuri methi is distinctly felt and the aloo palak tastes good.
Tried it. It was really good. Everything was clearly explained in the recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
Welcome Kusuma
1. As step by step instructions are not there I would request if you can share for how much time do we need to simmer so that the palak gets cooked ?
2.can we add coriander powder while cooking this veggie ,will that alter the taste ?
Meghà, simmer palak for 6-7 minutes.
yes you can add coriander powder. some taste will change.
hello,your all recipes are very nice delicious i tried lots of your recipe and all are very good.
thanks shahista for this feedback. glad to know.
Turned out delicious.. my husband doesn’t like palak.. he was surprised I was making masala just to make ‘aalo palak’… When it was served. He finished 2 bowls of it..
Can we add spinach or potatoes water to gravy? Does it have some nutrients? I don’t want to play with the taste though..
One more feedback Dassana, if I type avacado instead of avocado on your blog search, it doesn’t yield any results.. is it possible to make that search more user friendly..
thats nice to know bhavana. thanks for sharing your feedback and experience. you can add the water in which spinach was cooked. avoid adding potato water. the taste is different and it can spoil the taste of the gravy too.
Dear Dassana
Thankyou for your recipes
My life is easy know I stay away from my house I used to eat outside food everyday
Know I cook my own food. Thanks a ton
Mahavir Jain
Welcome Mahavir. Glad to know that recipes are helping you in cooking healthy food at home. Keep visiting the site and feel free to ask any query on recipes posted.
Made this last night – hubby said I nailed the flavor! Made it with 1/2 baby spinach 1/2 spring mix (so I guess it’s really saag), 2 Romas, 4 cloves garlic, the whole stick of cinnamon (it shattered when I tried to cut 1″ off), & no hing (didn’t have any), otherwise as in the recipe. I didn’t blanch the baby greens (unnecessary, they were so soft & tender). I also blended the gram flour with the chopped greens & used the cooking water from the potatoes – easy, no waste, no lumps! Thanks for the great recipe – it’s a keeper!
thank you druid. also thanks for the small tips and suggestions you have mentioned in the comment. happy cooking.
When do you add potatoes
in the 21st step of the recipe card.
yum!
thankyou sharmishta 🙂