Aloo Palak is one of those quick, easy, delicious and nutritious stir-fries that is a go-to in many Indian houses holds quite often. One more reason to love this dish is that it is a kid favorite too because who doesn't love potatoes !!
Aloo means potato and Palak means spinach, so Aloo Palak simply translates to Potato and spinach stir fry.
Feel free to use the button at the top of the page to go to the recipe directly or the table of contents below to go to any section of the page you want. The recipe card has all the information that is needed to make the recipe perfectly. However, I try to provide as much useful information in the post for the readers who are looking for it.
Potato has a special place in our home just like in many households. My dad and my kids love it to a point that my mom used to add potato to any curry to make it interesting. We make many different potato variations like simple south Indian style potato fry, Aloo matar, Aloo kheema, etc. I will post those recipes soon especially the potato fry which is our all-time favorite.
This Aloo Palak recipe is a dry Aloo Palak recipe which is a stir-fry. I also make another variation of Aloo palak which is a gravy version called Aloo saag. I will post the recipe for that one soon.
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This Aloo palak is
- Completely vegan and gluten-free
- Nutritious
- Ready in 30 minutes
- Easily available ingredients
- Even beginner cooks can make it easily.
- Delicious and loved by all ages.
How to make
Let's see how to make this quick and easy Palak aloo recipe.
Preparation :
- Slice the onions lengthwise into thin slices.
- Cut the potatoes into approximately ¾ inch cubes, not any bigger to make sure they cook faster. Cut the potatoes just before adding to the pan to avoid browning. I usually cut them while sauteing onions.
- Wash the spinach really well and separate the stems and any bad leaves. Now chop the leaves finely and keep them ready. You can do this after adding the potatoes to the pan too to save time. Tip: It is always a good idea to soak the leafy greens in water for few minutes and then wash multiple times to remove any unwanted dirt.
Making Palak Aloo:
- Heat a wide stir fry pan and add oil when it is hot. I used coconut oil. You can use any oil you prefer like canola, avocado, etc. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Then add chopped garlic, broken red chili, curry leaves, asafoetida, and turmeric and saute for a few seconds. Do not fry the garlic for more than a few seconds as that will burn it and give a bitter taste to the dish.
- Then add sliced onions and ¼ teaspoon of salt to help onions cook faster. Saute onions for 2 or 3 minutes just until they are a little translucent. No need to cook onions until brown or golden brown.
- Then add coriander powder, cumin powder, and stir well. Saute the spice powders with onions for a minute. Sauteeing the spice powders with onions before adding other vegetables always helps in bringing out more flavor.
- Now add potato cubes, 1 teaspoon of salt, and mix well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the potatoes are almost done while stirring every couple of minutes to avoid burning. If required, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water while the potatoes are cooking.
- When the potatoes are almost cooked, add chopped spinach, mix well and cook uncovered for around 3 to 4 minutes until the spinach and potatoes are well done but not overcooked.
- Check the seasonings and add more salt or spices if needed. Also, add ¼ teaspoon of garam masala if you prefer. Aloo palak sabzi is ready to serve.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice, roti or naan, and plain yogurt on the side.
More Vegan and Gluten-free dishes that you will love
Here are some more vegan and gluten-free dishes that you will absolutely love. Try them and let us know your feedback.
- Aloo Matar
- Scrambled tofu matar masala
- Indian Kale rice recipe
- Black bean soup with baby greens
- Instant pot green moong dal pulao
Adjusting Spice levels
This aloo palak recipe uses very few spices to bring out the natural flavors of the vegetables without overpowering with the spices. However you can adjust the spice levels as you want.
To increase the spice level, increase the amount of coriander powder and cumin powder and add 1 or 2 green chillies.
To reduce the spice level, skip the red chili and reduce the spice powders.
Tips and Variations
Follow the below tips to help you make a delicious Aloo Palak sabzi.
- Cut potatoes into ½ to ¾ inch cubes and not any bigger to make them cook faster.
- Do not cook for a long time after adding spinach to preserve the nutrients.
- You can add other vegetables like chopped carrots, beans or peas, etc... Add them at the same time as potatoes and cut them smaller than potatoes.
- Do not fry the garlic for more than a few seconds as that will burn it and give a bitter taste to the dish.
Storing and Reheating
This Aloo Palak curry stays fresh in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days when stored in an air tight container. You can reheat it in the microwave or on a stove top pan when ready to eat.
Serving Suggestions
This Palak Aloo recipe goes pretty well with roti, naan, or rice. We usually serve it with roti or rice along with plain yogurt and a dal on the side. Also serve papad on the side if you are serving with rice, makes a simple and heavenly meal.
Recipe
Aloo Palak | Indian Spinach & Potato Stir-fry
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoons oil
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 red chili broken into 3 or 4 pieces
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
- Pinch of Asafoetida Optional, also called hing, Use gluten-free hing if you prefer
- 1 cup of thinly sliced onion around 1 medium onion
- 3 big potatoes around 1.5 lb
- 3 cups of finely chopped spinach
- Salt to taste around 1.5 to 2 teaspoons
Ground Spices
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam masala optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Slice the onions lengthwise into thin slices.
- Cut the potatoes into approximately ¾ inch cubes, not any bigger to make sure they cook faster. Cut the potatoes just before adding to the pan to avoid browning. I usually cut them while sauteing onions.
- Wash the spinach really well and separate the stems and any bad leaves. Now chop the leaves finely and keep them ready. You can do this after adding the potatoes to the pan too to save time. Tip: It is always a good idea to soak the leafy greens in water for few minutes and then wash multiple times to remove any unwanted dirt.
Making Palak Aloo recipe
- Heat a wide stir fry pan and add oil when it is hot. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Then add chopped garlic, broken red chili, curry leaves, asafoetida, and turmeric and saute for a few seconds.
- Then add sliced onions and ¼ teaspoon of salt to help onions cook faster. Saute onions for 2 or 3 minutes just until they are a little translucent.
- Then add coriander powder, cumin powder, and stir well. Saute the spice powders with onions for a minute.
- Now add potato cubes,1 teaspoon of salt, and mix well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the potatoes are almost done while stirring every couple of minutes to avoid burning. If required, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water while the potatoes are cooking.
- When the potatoes are almost cooked, add chopped spinach, mix well and cook uncovered for around 3 to 4 minutes until the spinach and potatoes are well done but not overcooked.
- Check the seasonings and add more salt or spices if needed. Also, add ¼ teaspoon of garam masala if you prefer.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice, roti or naan, and plain yogurt on the side.
Notes
- Cut potatoes into ½ to ¾ inch cubes to make them cook faster.
- Do not cook for a long time after adding spinach to preserve the nutrients.
- You can add other vegetables like chopped carrots, beans or peas, etc... Add them at the same time as potatoes and cut them smaller than potatoes.
- This Aloo palak sabzi is not at all spicy. So if you prefer, you can increase the spice levels by increasing the amount of coriander powder and cumin powder and also by adding 1 or 2 green chillies. Similarly, you can also reduce the spice levels by skipping the red chili and reducing the spice powders.
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