Saag Aloo | Aloo Palak | Potato Spinach Curry

Aloo palak is another easy spinach recipe. This is also popular as saag aloo across the globe. Saag refers to green leafy vegetables and aloo stands for potatoes. This is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free.

If you have grown bored with regular red or brown curry, try this green curry base. This superfood will add a punch of nutrition to your diet. This is one of the quick vegan spinach recipes you can make, and it doesn't require a lot of planning or preparation if you have boiled potatoes, which saves nearly 10 minutes of cooking time.

Aloo Palak aka Saag Aloo

Palak or spinach is one of the healthiest vegetables, and we should include it in our daily diet. You can replace potatoes with paneer (non-vegan) or tofu (vegan) if you want a high-protein diet. Read my palak paneer recipe. You can check all my vegetarian spinach recipes and vegan spinach recipes here.

You can make this aloo palak or saag aloo in two ways. One is making spinach-based gravy and simmering the potatoes (boiled) for a few minutes. The second method is stir-frying spinach with potatoes.

I have mentioned saag aloo, aka aloo palak, in both ways here, i.e., with gravy and stir-fried. But before that, let us see the most important tip to make the best saag aloo or aloo palak.

Pro Tips:

Tip 1 - We are not cooking spinach green for long. Overcooking will result in loss of color along with loss of nutrition.

Tip 2—Boil and shallow fry the potatoes until golden, then add them to the gravy. Simmer in spinach gravy for a short duration. If we are making a stir-fry of potatoes and spinach, then also first cook the potatoes. When the potatoes are cooked to 80 - 90%, then add the greens, as we only need to wilt the spinach.

Tip 3 - You may add baby or regular potatoes as available.

How to make saag aloo?

Method I

Step - 1 - Cook Potatoes

Clean baby potatoes and place them in a pot with water. Boil the potatoes until tender. When they are boiled and slightly cooled, you can easily peel the skins.

Heat 4 - 5 tbsp oil in a skillet. Add the boiled potatoes and stir-fry them for 3 - 4 minutes or until the outer skin turns a little brown to golden.

Another way is to dice the potatoes and shallow fry/ pan fry them directly until tender. If you are using larger-sized potatoes (not baby potatoes), this is a time-saving option, too.

Step - 2 - Make Spinach Puree

Wash and clean the spinach thoroughly. Add some water to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Then, add the spinach greens. Blanch them for 2 minutes until the spinach is wilted.

Now remove the pot from heat. Immediately remove the spinach leaves from the hot water and immerse them in ice. This will stop the spinach from overcooking and keep the green color intact. If you overcook the leaves, they may also turn pale green to olive green.

After 5 minutes, remove the spinach from the iced water and transfer it to a blender. Blend it into a nice puree.

Step - 3 - Prepare Spinach Gravy

Now heat the same skillet and add finely chopped onions. Saute until the onions become translucent. For a more garlicky flavor, add 4 - 5 cloves of garlic minced along with the onions.

Once the onion is translucent, add the chopped tomatoes. Saute for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked and soft. Then add the ground spices and salt. Stir them well. Keep the flame on low; otherwise, it will burn the spices. Then, add the cooked potatoes and stir them. Simmer for 2 minutes more.

Now add pureed spinach to the pan. Bring this to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. That's all. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle some garam masala. Aloo palak or saag aloo is ready.

Stir-fry Method Aloo Palak

Wash and clean the leaves. If you have a salad spinner, use that to get rid of excess water. Spread the leaves on a dry cloth and wipe out some excess moisture. Let it air-dry for some time. This will help prevent the dish from becoming soggy.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add minced garlic and chopped onions. Sauté till translucent. Then add chopped potatoes and stir a little. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on low heat until the potatoes are cooked to 80 - 90%. Add all ground spices and salt and give a nice stir.

Then, add chopped spinach greens to the pan. Mix them nicely. When it comes in contact with the hot pan, spinach will start to wilt gradually. So, give a gentle stir for a minute, ensuring all leaves are reduced and start to shrink.

Spinach will also release some water (its natural water content). Cover with a lid for 3 - 5 minutes on low flame. If you see some water left even after the spinach is cooked, change the flame to high to evaporate the extra water. This will help prevent the stir-fry from becoming soggy.

Whatever method you choose to make this aloo palak or saag aloo, it will take less than 30 minutes. It's delicious, too.

How to Serve Saag Aloo?

Saag aloo or aloo palak goes best with Indian flatbreads or steam rice. Some of the regular companions for stir-fried spinach are whole wheat flour chapati/ roti, paratha, laccha paratha, etc. And when it's the spinach gravy, I love that with steamed rice.

Recipe Card For Aloo Palak aka Saag Aloo

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