Aloo Palak – Indian Potato Spinach

Hearty one-pot meal, aloo palak, is an Indian potato and spinach dish that is vegan and vegetarian. 

Aloo, palak is a simple, flavor-filled dish that is easy to make.  There are some dishes in Indian cuisine that photos don’t do justice to – THIS is one of them! 

This wholesome dish has delicious flavors of garlicky potatoes, a tang of tomatoes, minimal Indian spices, and good-for-you spinach. Serve with a plate of fresh Indian Basmati Rice and some yogurt and you are set.

The potatoes are simmered in spices that they absorb for a delicious depth of flavor.

I use a large amount of spinach which also loves soaking up flavors. With a little prep and 30 minutes, you’ll have this wholesome meal ready.

See how easy it is to make in the quick video below!

Aloo means potato and palak means spinach.  I don’t know about you, but these are two ingredients I always have on hand, and I often need to use up a box of spinach quickly before it goes bad.

Aloo palak sabzi is like a potato and spinach stir fry flavored with delicious Indian spices. It is a dry sabzi similar to Aloo Methi so it isn’t swimming in a gravy-like Rasawala Bateta Nu Shaak (Eggplant and Potato).

The leftover aloo palak even tastes great as a stuffing in grilled cheese 🙂 

Why you will love this recipe

Simple ingredients | Easy to find ingredients

Budget-friendly | Main ingredients are potatoes and spinach

Vegetarian and vegan | Gluten-free option available

Meal prep friendly  |  Great make-ahead meal

Ingredient Notes

Below are ingredient notes. Full ingredients and directions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post. 

Potatoes –  I used Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed in approximately 1 ½ inch pieces. 

More tips on potatoes: Take the extra few minutes and cook the potatoes in the spices instead of using boiled potatoes.  You get a very different taste if you boil the potatoes ahead of time and throw them in the pot vs cooking the potatoes in the spices.

Chop potatoes in about the same size so they cook in the same amount of time.  

Spinach – I used baby spinach leaves. Chop them finely.  If you are using bigger spinach leaves you may want to use the leaves only.  I personally would just use it all – why waste!?

Onion – Most often yellow onions are used.  Personally, I like red onions more and have them on hand more often so that is what I used.  Use what you have on hand.

Tomatoes – I used plum tomatoes.  I have used canned crushed tomatoes when I didn’t have fresh ones in the fridge.

Garlic – Chop finely

Spices: Cumin seeds and asafetida are used in the tadka Other key simple spices include cumin-coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and garam masala. 

Kasuri methi – This dried Indian herb (fenugreek leaves) adds a lovely flavor.  It is found in Indian grocery stores.  You can skip it if you don’t have it on hand.  

Kashmiri chili powder – I like to use a little Kashmiri chili powder for the color.  You can use a Kashmiri chili powder substitute for color as well.  It does not have a great deal of heat so it is ok to skip it if you don’t have it on hand.

Preparation

Prep the fresh ingredients.

Peel and cube potatoes into about 1½ inch pieces. Place in a bowl of water to prevent browning. I cut the potatoes in thirds lengthwise and then cut each slice into 6 pieces as pictured below:

Finely chop garlic and spinach.  Chop tomatoes and onions.  Shred or blend ginger.

How to Make Aloo Palak

Heat ghee in a pan on medium-high heat (in between). Once hot, add cumin seeds and let sizzle for about 30 seconds.  Then, add in asafetida.

Add chopped onions and mix.  Let cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Turn the gas down to medium heat. Add tomatoes and garlic. Mix and let cook another 1-2 minutes.

Add in all spices except kasuri methi. Mix well.

Add cubed potatoes and a cup of water. Mix.

Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Checking and mixing every 5-7 minutes.  Potatoes are ready when fork tender.

Add chopped, washed spinach and mix. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Open lid and give it a mix.

Consistency tip: This is a dry sabji. If needed, let cook uncovered on low-medium to let any excess water burn out. I have found using less water may lead to potatoes sticking to the pan which is never fun to clean up.

Turn off the gas. Finish the dish by sprinkling crushed kasuri methi and mixing.

Tips

Pan  – Use a deep large pan so you can get all the chopped spinach in.  If you don’t have a bigger pan add the spinach in thirds.

Use a non-stick pan as the potatoes are cooked in the pan. This will reduce the likelihood of it sticking.

Make-Ahead and Storing

Store in an airtight container.  Keeps well in the fridge for at least 4 days.

Serving Suggestions

Yogurt – My favorite way to have this is simply with some yogurt!

Rice – Basmati Rice and Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice) are two great options

Indian breads – Anything goes to scoop this up – from naan, roti, paratha, Masala Puri, or Bhakri!

Variations

This can be made in numerous ways, with many regional variations. Here are a few variations you can try:

• Try this with sweet potatoes for a variation
• Use other leafy greens instead of or in addition to spinach
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice for extra tang
• Use finely chopped green chilies in the tadka
• Dhaba style aloo palak can be made with the addition of gram flour
• I’ve kept whole spices to a minimum. Some recipes use whole red chilies.
• This can also be made in an Instant Pot.  Will update you with details soon!

This naturally vegan Indian dish is pure comfort food. I find it to be a great hit at parties. Hope you enjoy giving this aloo palak recipe a go!

Have you tried this recipe? If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a comment and rate it with stars. It would mean a lot to me to hear how it turned out. If you’re on Instagram, feel free to tag me so I can see your creation. Thank you for your support!