Aloo palak made with potatoes and spinach

Aloo Palak Recipe (Spinach and Potato)

By Swasthi on August 27, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Aloo palak is a simple Indian dish made with potatoes, spinach, spices and herbs. It is a super easy and delicious way to get a little extra iron in your diet. This aloo palak is the Indian version of the sautéed spinach with potatoes & a few spices. It tastes amazingly delicious with a burst of garlicky and citrus flavors. Aloo palak goes well with just anything – roti, bread, poori, rice & also makes a good filling for your sandwiches, wraps and rolls.

Aloo palak made with potatoes and spinach

Bookmark this for those busy weeknights when you really don’t want to spend a lot of time whipping up your dinner.

About Aloo Palak

Aloo palak is a North Indian side dish of potatoes and spinach sautéed or cooked with onions, garlic, cumin seeds and garam masala. The dish is named after potato & spinach, where Aloo is a Hindi word for “potato” and Palak for “spinach”. There are numerous ways this dish is made, with recipes varying by region and households.

Often you will also find this served in the North Indian restaurants in a Thali (a full meal served with several sides). Similar to many other Indian dishes, even aloo palak is made in 2 different versions – dry and gravy.

My Recipe

I have shared the recipe to make dry aloo palak in this post. To make the gravy version I simply use my Palak Paneer or this Spinach Curry recipe into which I add the sautéed /grilled or air fried potatoes. Making any spinach gravy takes some time as the recipe requires sautéing and blending the spinach.

While I reserve the gravy version for occasions and weekends, this dry aloo palak is our absolute favourite & is made time & again. My picky eating boys love this just with anything and sometimes I skip the onions too since the dish comes together much faster.

My aloo palak recipe is simple, guaranteed to make eating your spinach taste delicious & healthy.

Variations:

With Boiled potatoes: Sometimes I also make aloo palak with boiled potatoes. I cook the cubed aloo (without water) along with rice in the Instant pot/ pressure cooker and then add them to the tempering. Next add palak and saute. This method also saves time as you don’t need to cook potatoes in the pan.

Other leafy greens: You can make this recipe with other leafy greens such as methi (fenugreek), moringa leaves or amaranth.

Green Peas or Corn: My kids love green peas or sweet corn in this recipe. Both these add some sweet tones. This version goes well with everything else but not rice. Use it as filling to make wraps and sandwiches.

Aloo palak is spinach potatoes made in Indian style

You can check more Aloo Recipes here and Palak Recipes here

How to Make Aloo Palak (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. You will need 3 to 4 cups of chopped spinach. Pluck spinach leaves and wash them in a large pot of water. Drain and wash a few times. I usually spray some vinegar and rest them for 10 mins, then wash them a few times. Drain them completely in a colander. There should be no water in the palak. Chop them just before adding to the pan.

2. Wash 2 to 3 medium potatoes and peel them. Cube them to ¾ inch cubes. You will need 2 cups of these cubes.Do not chop them large as they take long time to cook. Add them to a bowl of water and keep aside until needed. [other option is to boil the potatoes al dente first and use them in the recipe.]

3. Meanwhile slice 1 medium onion, chop 2 cloves of garlic and 1 to 2 green chilies.

Tempering

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter, add garlic and green chilies. I usually deseed the green chilies and use. You can skip chili if you have very young kids. Fry garlic for a minute, then add a pinch of hing. Avoid browning the garlic as they burn later when sautéed with potatoes.

adding hing to make aloo palak recipe

5. Add sliced onions if using. Fry them until lightly golden. You don’t need to brown them as they will caramelize later.

golden fried onions to make aloo palak

6. Remove the cubed potatoes from water and add them here. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour 3 to 4 tbsp water and mix well.

pour some water to cook aloo palak

7. Cover and cook until fork tender.

cook covered

8. The potatoes must be just cooked but not mushy. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt, turmeric, ¼ teaspoon garam masala (optional), kasuri methi (optional) and ¼ red chili powder.

adding salt turmeric chilli powder to make aloo palak recipe

9. Saute for 2 to 3 mins. Taste test and add more spice and salt if required.

cooking covered

Make Aloo Palak

10. Add in the chopped spinach.

adding spinach to make aloo palak

11. Stir fry on a medium high flame just for 3 to 4 mins until they wilt off. Evaporate any excess moisture by sautéing on a high flame. Turn off the heat. I usually sprinkle a tsp of toasted sesame seeds and lemon juice towards the end.

squeeze some lemon juice on aloo palak

Serve aloo palak with puri, roti or chapati.

aloo palak

Pro Tips

Onions: Using onions is optional. A lot of times I skip the onions. However they impart a sweet flavor which helps to tone down the mild bitter flavors of spinach.

Green chilies: I always feel aloo palak tastes best with green chilies, for both heat and flavor. So I use a small amount of red chili powder to spice the potatoes else they will taste bland.

Potatoes: Make sure potatoes are chopped to bite sized about ¾ inch in size else they take longer to cook. You may air fry or grill or parboil them first for a short time if you want.

Spices: Using too much of ground spices alters the flavor and taste of the leafy greens. For extra flavor simply use more garlic, kasuri methi and green chilies.

Avoid overcooking: Do not overcook spinach. You are just going to sautee it until completely wilted. Add it right at the end, when the potatoes are done to your liking. Overcooking makes the spinach taste bitter and metallic. If your spinach is not young/tender, cover and cook for a while.

Spinach: I like to use a moderate amount of palak and not a lot. Using a lot more may make your dish taste bitter. Avoid using the stalks and use only the leaves.

Crushed peanuts or sesame seeds: To add a nutty taste add some coarse crushed roasted peanuts just before serving. Kids will love that. You can also sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds.

Lastly you can replace potatoes with sweet potatoes in this recipe.

How to Prepare Palak

Some of you had asked me to share how I clean spinach. So I have shared it below. To save time you can also use the ready to use spinach so you don’t need to prepare. This is what I have been using recently.

  • I usually inspect each leaf for larvae and worms. Discard the leaf if I find any.
  • Then I spray vinegar and rest the leaves for 5 to 8 mins.
  • Pluck the leaves and discard the stems as most times they have a metallic or bitter taste. The stems of palak are usually fibrous and stringy even after cooking so I remove them if the leaves are not young.
  • Next rinse them a few times in a large pot of water.
  • Remove and put them in a colander. When the water drains completely, finely chop the leaves. You can also use a food processor.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

Aloo Palak Recipe (Spinach and Potato Recipe)

Aloo Palak is an easy, healthy and tasty side dish made with spinach. potatoes & spices. Serve with roti, rice, Paratha, Puri or fill your wraps and sandwiches.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings3
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped) or ginger
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (optional)
  • 2 green chilies (deseeded and chopped)
  • 1 medium onion (¾ cup sliced or ½ cup chopped, optional)
  • 2 cups potatoes (cubed to ¾ inch, 2 to 3 medium potatoes)
  • 4 cups spinach (8 to 10 ounce chopped, more if you like)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (more to adjust to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
  • â…› teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (adjust to taste)

Optional ingredients

  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
  • ¾ teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, optional)


Instructions

Preparation

  • Rinse the spinach in lots of water a few times and drain them to a colander.
  • Peel & cube the potatoes to bite sized pieces. optional – Keep them immersed in a bowl of water to avoid discoloration.

How to Make Aloo Palak

  • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. 
  • When the oil turns hot add ¾ teaspoon cumin and let them splutter. 
  • Then add 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped and 1 to 2 chopped green chilies. Fry them for a minute. Sprinkle hing.
  • Next add medium sized chopped or sliced onion and fry until light golden. 
  • Drain the water from potatoes completely. Then add them to the pan & fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
  • You can just stir fry until the potatoes are fork tender or Pour 3 tablespoons water and cook covered until tender but not mushy.
  • Then sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon chili powder (optional), kasuri methi & garam masala (optional). Saute for a minute or two until the raw smell of chili powder goes away. Taste test and add more salt or spice at this level.
  • Next add 4 cups of chopped palak. Saute on a medium high flame for about 3 minutes or until the leaves wilt.
  • When the moisture evaporates turn off the stove. You can sprinkle 1 tsp of toasted sesame seeds before finishing
  • Sprinkle lemon juice before serving. Serve aloo palak with roti, chapati, paratha or rice.


Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

Video

Watch Spinach and Potato Recipe Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Aloo Palak Recipe (Spinach and Potato Recipe)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 202 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Sodium 407mg18%
Potassium 854mg24%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 3820IU76%
Vitamin C 34.2mg41%
Calcium 98mg10%
Iron 6.1mg34%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Aloo Palak Recipe first published in November 2012, Updated in March 2022.

Aloo Palak Recipe (Spinach and Potato)

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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5 stars
Hi I tried using the boiled potato in instant pot technique, then added that to the pan before adding the palak.
It became very mushy :((
Is there a post on how to cook potatoes in the instant pot? Also how to incorporate the rice with the potato?

Thanks so much for all your recipes, absolutely love them! It’s my go to always.

5 stars
Made this aloo palak this weekend and it was absolutely delicious! So simple, healthy and plant based! My picky eating family loved it too. I didn’t know what kind of chili to use. So I omitted it. Thank you for sharing! I look forward to trying more plant based recipes from your website.

5 stars
Thank you! This turned out amazing with double the spinach, garam masala and lemon juice

5 stars
Your recipes are amazing. Used baby spinach and a handful of fresh methi leaves. Wrapped up the aloo palak with a drizzle of tahini and cream cheese in frozen parathas. It was a lovely meal and tasted yummy!

5 stars
good

5 stars
Hii Swasthi
Your Aloo Palak receipe was so good. I always try your receipes n I look forward to many more.

5 stars
Fantastic way to enjoy 2 of my favorite foods – spinach and potatoes. Love garam masala in this. The only change is to use chili flakes in place of chili powder.

5 stars
i made this today and it was LOVELY – i will definately add to my rota of recipes 🙂

5 stars
I used the recipe, changed it at places, like steaming the potatoes with the lid on, to get softer, and it’s delicious. I shared it with a friend who just showed me his kale harvest. Thank you

5 stars
I love that you have a preparation section. I love your recipes more. 🙂

5 stars
It worked very well; very easy and tasty. Thank you for posting!

Hi Swasthi,
Your recipes are absolutely delicious and easy to make. This aloo palak is so comforting and tasty.

5 stars
Made this last evening. I’m new to cooking and your recipes help a lot. Thank you

5 stars
I love your recipes. So simple,wholesome and tasty. Thank you.

5 stars
I made this with kumara (sweet potato) and kale. I used all the optional spices and sesame seeds. It was absolutely delicious with a whole pea curry.

5 stars
Made your recipe tonight using amaranth greens and it was so delicious! My new go-to recipe for aloo palak. Thanks for sharing.

Swati i tried ur recipe . But it came mushy .but sometimes it came good please give s remedy

5 stars
Super easy, simple, well spiced. I ate with some yogurt, peanuts, on frozen paratha : )

Thanks!

5 stars
Good but I don’t think you specified how much turmeric we should use.

5 stars
Delicious! Almost all recipes I have tried from this website have turned out so well. For this recipe I used only green chillies and did not add any chilli powder. Green chillies are more beneficial as compared to the red chillies and this turned out so well. I have loved the combination of cumin, turmeric, green chillies and potatoes and this dish tasted so good. Thanks.

Made this this evening.

Easy and delicious – a tad warm, but I was a wee bit heavy on the hot stuff perhaps – added oven-roasted tofu that had been marinated in nutritional yeast, miso paste, coconut oil and lemon juice & zest. All worked well together.

(Credit to “Bosh! Healthy Vegan” for the tofu).