This quick and easy Spinach & Potato (Aloo Palak) curry recipe is healthy, full of authentic flavor, and naturally vegetarian (or vegan, if you omit the ghee). This curry is unique in that the potatoes boil on the side while you're preparing the curry, reducing any extra time to wait on the potatoes.
Prep time: PT5M
Cook time: PT25M
Total time: PT30M
Rating
4.95 stars (139 reviews)
Keywords
aloo palak, spinach and potato curry
Ingredients
1 lb organic spinach - fresh or frozen (See Note 1) (thoroughly washed and stems removed)
1 large Russet potato (peeled and cubed)
1/4 cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed or avocado)
1 tbsp ghee (or sub butter) (optional)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
1-2 green chili peppers (such as Serrano or Thai) (slit in half)
3-4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 inch piece ginger (crushed)
1 medium to large tomato (finely chopped)
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4-1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder
¾-1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp garam masala (optional)
1 tsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
Indian
Pakistani
Steps
Finely chop the spinach leaves using the pulse function of a food processor (See Note 2). You can do this in advance and store it, covered, in the refrigerator. Set aside.
Boil (See Note 3) the cubed potato with 1 tsp salt until tender. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil and ghee in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds. Give them a few seconds to sizzle. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until slightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Add the slit green chili pepper, garlic, and ginger and cook until the raw smell disappears, about 20 seconds. Add the chopped tomato, spice powders (except garam masala), and salt. Cook until the tomato becomes soft and the oil starts to leave the sides, about 3 minutes.
Raise the heat to high and add the spinach. Stir-fry it until it loses its moisture, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to prevent the spinach from sticking to the bottom. If you feel that it still isn't cooked, add 1/4 cup of water, cover, and cook on low-medium heat for an additional 5 minutes. It should no longer have any raw taste.
When the spinach is cooked, add the boiled potatoes and stir to coat the potatoes with the spinach. Add garam masala and more salt, if needed. Turn off the heat and sprinkle lime or lemon juice.
Serve hot with roti, naan, rice, or bread. You can also serve yogurt and chopped red onions on the side, if desired.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 330 kcal
Carbohydrates: 35 g
Protein: 8 g
Fat: 19 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Sodium: 716 mg
Sugar: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
Reviews
Lyda Pierce on 2026-06-24 (5 stars): My hush husband and I live this recipe which I mage with red or purple ameranth leaves in place of spinach. The potatoes were new white potatoes from our garden. Actually the potatoes, ameranth, garlic, and other herbs were from our garden!
Because the skin in the potatoes was so thin, I left it on. The ameranth combined with white potatoes was vibrant and beautiful. The flavor was great. We served it with extra lemon juice, cilantro leaves and plain yogurt that we liked mixed in. I'll mange it again soon.
However, while it might take 20 to actually cook this, it took close to an hour to prep everything.
Linda Waldon on 2026-05-29 (2 stars): Thank you for sharing, Easy to make but although we don’t like very hot curries, I felt that it was lacking in spices for our taste , I will definitely consider cooking it again but next time I will double up on the spices
Frans on 2026-04-20 (5 stars): What a wonderful, tasty recipe. Tried many versions of this Aloo Palak (or Saag Aloo) and this one stands out as by far the best. Made mine with less chillies to please those sensitive eaters amongst my family. Also suggest you try adding a teaspoon of dried Fenugreek (methi) leaves with the garam masala for additional taste. Thank you for such a great dish.
Mark on 2026-03-17 (5 stars): First time making Aloo Palak and there were no leftovers! My vegetarian family of 5 are always looking for weeknight meals, and this was wonderful. I have tried to make our favorite Malai Kofta multiple times (never as good as our favorite restaurant), but this was so easy. We served with pan fried tofu and homemade naan. Thanks!
Hilary Khan on 2026-03-07 (5 stars): Just wondering how you would store overnight and reheat? I want to cook it tonight so it is ready for guests tomorrow.
Mike on 2026-02-28 (5 stars): Another delicious recipe Sandy! I did it as a side for your fabulous tandoori chicken, as well as onion parathas, and it was wonderful.
Tracy on 2026-02-21 (5 stars): This was like the best thing I have ever cooked! I steamed the potatoes and only used a half bag of baby spinach and had no tomatoes or peppers, and it still was out of this world delicious!
Sehar on 2026-02-03 (5 stars): Love this recipe, I’ve made it so many times! it’s great on its own or to accompany other dishes. Thank you for the recipe!
Maria on 2026-01-29 (5 stars): This was delicious. I had no fresh tomatoes, so this used tomato puree. Also, only had 12 ounces of fresh spinach, so I added some paneer I had on hand, to stretch.
