You can make this rich, buttery saag in no time at all. Instant Pot saag is my favorite way to eat my greens. Not only is this recipe for saag quick and easy to make, it’s so delicious too! You might even forget this dish is good for you 😉
What’s better than some creamy dreamy Saag? Saag made in an INSTANT. Like, in an Instant Pot.
what is saag?
I like to describe saag as the Indian version of creamed spinach, only the creaminess comes from the ghee. Saag translates to “pureed greens” so you can essentially use any green vegetable to make saag. It’s a good clean out the fridge dish – you can use kale, spinach, brussels sprouts. If you’d like, go through the comments on this post to see what blog readers have used in their saag.
To make authentic Punjabi saag, you will want to use a combination of mustard greens (“sarson”) and spinach (“palak”). I prefer to use equal parts spinach and mustard greens to make my saag. This is the version of saag that I grew up eating and it’s the one that I prefer, but if you can’t find mustard greens, don’t worry, spinach will work just fine too. An all spinach saag will have a thinner consistency though.
I know this is probably more than you cared to know about saag, but it’s a subject I’m pretty passionate about. If I’m being honest, I’m basically passionate about all things food related. If I’m being REALLY honest, I’m more passionate about eating food than I am cooking. That’s probably the reason I’m in love with my Instant Pot – because I get to spend more time eating and less time cooking.
You can always add cooked meat or paneer to saag if you want – just stir it in! And make sure to always top your bowl with extra ghee!
Instant Pot Saag
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I like to describe saag as the Indian version of creamed spinach, only the creaminess comes from the ghee. Saag translates to “pureed greens” so you can essentially use any green vegetable to make saag. To make authentic Punjabi saag, you will want to use a combination of mustard greens and spinach. This is the version of saag that I grew up eating and it’s the one that I prefer, but if you can’t find mustard greens, don’t worry, spinach will work just fine too. An all spinach saag will have a thinner consistency though. Once the saag is done, you can add cooked meat or paneer to the dish if you want. Just make sure to always top your bowl with extra ghee!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 onions, diced
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
Spices
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne, adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 pound spinach, rinsed
- 1 pound mustard leaves, rinsed
- Pinch of kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- Ghee or butter, for serving
Instructions
- Press the “saute” button on the Instant Pot and add the ghee. Once it melts, add the onion, garlic, ginger and spices to the pot and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the spinach, stirring until it wilts and there’s enough room to add the mustard greens.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 15 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure.
- Remove the lid and use an immersion blender to puree the contents of the pot (or pour the contents into a blender and then add the blended mixture back into the pot).
- Stir in the dried fenugreek leaves.
- Serve with ghee.
Notes
- Make sure to rinse the spinach even if it is pre-washed. The little bit of water clinging to the leaves is enough to get the instant pot to start. Do not add more water to this! The spinach leaves will also release water as the pot comes to pressure. If you add water, the dish will be way too watery, trust me.
- If you are making this using 2 pounds of spinach then know that the saag will be a bit thinner than if you were to have used saag along with mustard greens. You can thicken the saag by pressing sauté at the end to reduce liquid if you’d like (or stir some corn flour into the saag to help thicken it up).
Ashley, Thanks for this recipe. I love saag and your recipe looks easy compared to others I’ve seen. I just bought fresh mustard and spinach leaves from the organic farmers market and am about to make your recipe in my Instant Pot. I notice that no liquid is added before pressure cooking. That would mean that the only liquid is whatever water is left on the leaves after rinsing, the moisture in the leaves themselves, some that’s released by the onions and the 2 Tbsp of ghee. Can you confirm that there’s no need to add any more liquid before sealing and pressure cooking? Thanks.
Christine, that’s right! You don’t need any liquid 🙂 Please let me know how this turns out for you!
I didn’t add any liquid and it turned out great. In fact, so much liquid was released during cooking that I had to drain some of it out. I used mustard leaves and spinach leaves. It was delicious if a little too hot for my tastes even though I’m Indian. Next time I’ll eliminate or use a lot less cayenne powder. Made in the Instant Pot, the saag was so much easier and quicker to make than my old stove-top method. Thanks for the recipe, Ashley.
I love this recipe- the flavours are great, but I have always had an issue with the lack of liquid. I add tomatoes to this recipe and STILL find I have to add water ; otherwise , the instant pot “burn” warning starts up or the IP doesn’t come to pressure ! Anyone else have this problem ?
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Yes I did. I had to add about 3/4 c water after receiving burn notice to scrape up the stick spices. Worked fine after that
I had the same problem but added 1/2 cup of water and it turned out great.
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Delicious!!! Just missing makhi ki roti to go with this!! didn’t use the red chili powder, however,used more garam masala and it was delicious!!
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Raseel, so glad you liked it!! You can make my Indian “pancake” to go along with the saag 🙂 It’s not makhi ki roti but I really like the two together!
One of my favorite dishes ever, and tragically, I’ve developed an allergy to red/green pepper, so I haven’t been able to eat it at a restaurant for over a decade. This is the first recipe that has a small enough amount of red pepper that I felt like I could just omit it, and I’m over the moon! Thank you! Hope you don’t mind if I share my slight adaptation (garam malasa without red pepper is available at my market, but somehow it didn’t make it home with me) on my mostly friends and family blog with directions for preparing and adding the paneer soon!
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I love, love, love my Instant Pot and can’t wait to try your Instant Pot recipes! So excited!
Thanks, Dawn!! 🙂
I made this yesterday following the crock pot recipe. Simply can’t wait to make it again. I’ve tried to make saag paneer before and it’s never turned out creamy and delicious – until now. I added some paneer (store bought, too lazy to make my own this time) during the last hour in the crock pot. I gave about half the batch to a vegetarian friend and she also loved it. I thought it might be too spicy (not for me, but for my family and friends), but the flavors had really mellowed by the time we ate it today. I followed Ashley’s advice and made it on Day 1 and ate it on Day 2. I used 1 lb mustard greens and 1 lb baby spinach and used 2 serrano chilis. The saag with the Paleo Naan is outrageously good.
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Jennifer, I’m so glad you liked the saag!! And how nice of you to share with a friend 🙂
Does anyone know the name for mustard greens in the UK? I am sure we don’t them here!
We get spinach, kale, spring greens etc but I have never seen mustard greens! Maybe I should a local indian supermarket??
Neil, it might be called kai choi? You can try an Indian or Asian market – or you can use a different type of green if needed. Let me know if you’re able to try the recipe!
You can actually grow your own from mustard seeds. Just put the seeds in some starter soil and use them as shoots or wait longer for the leaves! (As Asian or Indian market is also a good thing to try).
Thanks so much for this recipe. It is delicious and so easy. I really couldn’t believe how tasty it was. I made it with your rice flour chapatis and they were perfect together. Thanks!
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Glad you liked it, Sophie!! 🙂
This saag is just delicious. I found that using frozen, chopped mustard greens and spinach worked great, and I’m well-pleased. This morning, I enjoyed leftover saag alongside aloo mirch (turmeric potatoes and peppers), an omelet, and chili-ed onions. Thanks, Ashley! I look forward to trying more of your recipes. 🙂
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That’s so great to hear, Debra!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
How many oz of frozen greens did you use please?
Z, each bag of frozen greens was 16 ounces. I used one bag of chopped spinach and one bag of mustard greens, so 32 ounces total. Hope that helps. 🙂
Hi did you need to thaw them and squeeze out excess liquid before using them, or can you just drop them into the pot frozen?
I love this recipe. This is the second time I’ve made it, and I think I’ll be making it weekly. Thanks so much for sharing!
Karin, so glad to hear that!!
How did the pot not overheat with no water in it???
The spinach releases liquid. If you add water, it will become too watery.
Thanks. I tried it with no water and it came up with the overheat display. I just added a touch of water and it turned out fine.
Excellent recipe although I had no ghee so used olive oil. Will try with ghee next time!
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Oh wow, that hasn’t happened to me before but that’s really good to know. I’ll add that to the notes. Thanks, Neil!
Quick question: did you dry the greens after you washed them? I just made this last night and it was amazing, however our version turned out just a tiny bit watery (a very small nitpick as the taste was way better than expected). I think that could be easily fixed by just letting it sit opened with the “Keep Warm” button and allowing it to steam off and reduce just a little bit.
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I’m Indian and grew up eating saag. This is the BEST saag I’ve ever had! It tastes so good I can’t believe I made it! My family loved it as well. It’s a wonderful way to get a healthy dose of vegetables and we will be eating this probably once a week. Thank you for all of the delicious recipes. I’m going to try your Butter Chicken next!
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Wow, thanks Shashi!! I’m so happy that you and your fam loved the recipe!! Let me know what you think of the butter chicken – would love to hear your thoughts on that dish 🙂
Thank you for this great recipe! I made it tonight with mixed greens and added chickpeas (we’re not strictly paleo). Everyone loved it and it was so easy!
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Nadia, that’s awesome! So glad everyone liked it 🙂
Can you add chickpeas to this? Canned?
yup!
I don’t have an immersion stick, is that absolutely necessary? Could I add the saag in to the blender once cooled down some instead? Also, an easy shortcut that I love for anything that needs ginger, is to cut and peel all pieces, then freeze them. When needed, pull out a knob out and grate it into whatever your cooking. It will be like ginger snow but it melts right into your dish without any fibrous pieces!
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You can definitely use a blender 🙂 And love that tip – thank you so much for sharing! I’m definitely going to try that!
Though you don’t need an immersion blender, it’s a purchase you are very unlikely to regret. A lot less messy than transferring to a blender. For a serious examination of the best stick blenders, see the wirecutter.com, a NY Times company. Or Cook’s Illustrated equipment reviews (subscription required). An immersion blender has a myriad uses and will soon come to feel indispensable.
Yum! We made this tonight and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I might blend in a can of coconut cream at the end next time. I like the idea of adding chick peas, too. One question – do you let the pressure release naturally, or do you do the quick release? Thanks!
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I’m so glad you liked it!! I like those ideas too – let me know if you try them and how they turn out 🙂 I’m impatient so I usually do quick release lol, but you can do either.
This is amazingly delicious, but I should have read the comments first – I love heat in my food, but 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne was a little much for me! I will definitely be making this again, but I’ll probably start with 1/8 or 1/4 tsp. But otherwise the flavor is perfection! 5 stars!
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Thanks, Traci! And yeah if you’re not used to heat then it can be spicy! Also, I feel like the pressure cooker makes food spicier than if you were to do it in a regular pot. If it’s too spicy to eat, maybe cut it with some coconut milk or more ghee/butter. Glad you liked the flavor though!
AMAZING! And easy!
I just made this in my stove top pressure cooker with half fresh kale and half frozen spinach (because that’s what I had) and did 15 minutes at low pressure with a little water added (per my pressure cooker ‘rules’).
It would be too spicy for our kids as is but my husband and I LOVE it!
Thank you so much!
So happy to hear you both love it!! 🙂
Perfect with a few tweaks: pass on the cayenne (too spicy), half the amount of turmeric if your not a huge fan of it, and double the garam masala (if you love the spices). Also, i couldn’t find mustard green so I used chard as a substitute. I’ve made it several times. Thanks for the recipe!
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Glad to hear that! And thanks for sharing those tips 🙂
I so excited to try this recipe out! I’m interested in making this into a saag gosht though…any idea about when to add the meat, or how cook time would be affected?
Hi Catherine! I’d suggest first using the sauté setting to brown the meat, then pressure cook the meat until tender. I’d add the spinach (pre-blended) at the end and pressure cook again for a minute or two. Hope that helps 🙂 Maybe the next time I get my hands on some lamb or goat, I’ll make and share a recipe for saag gosht!
Hi Ashley,
I have just found this recipe and I am so excited to try it . I just wanted to clarify your instructions on adding meet as I’d like to try to add chicken. Do you have a detailed instruction on how to add meat or paneer to this recipe? I am new to using the Insta pot and have never made any Indian dish before because I’ve been to intimidated.
Thanks in advance!
Jody, I’m so glad you found my site too! I would suggest cooking it separately and add it to the saag at the end for the best flavor. Adding meat beforehand will add extra water to the saag and paneer is already cooked so it doesn’t need to be pressure cooked – plus, it would be much tastier if you stir-fry it first. I hope that helps! Once you make your first Indian recipe, you’ll keep making more! The instant pot makes it so easy to make flavorful food. Keep me posted!
Worked really well. Another option to thicken saag-saag is to use a mix of yogurt and besan (chickpea flour). 2tbsp of yogurt and 2tsp of besan.
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I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
I’ve made this in my Instant Pot many times now and love it! At first when I followed the recipe exactly as written, it turned out too watery. I also saw in the comments that someone used frozen mustard greens and wanted to try that shortcut. Now I put two 12 oz. pkgs. of frozen mustard greens in the bottom of the pot, then pack in 1 lb. of baby spinach leaves and set the IP for 0 minutes on manual. When the IP beeps (right after coming to pressure), I quick release the steam and drain the greens in a colander, reserving only 1/4 c. of liquid. After sauteeing the aromatics and spices in ghee in the pot, I add the greens and reserved liquid back in, cooking it as described on the Poultry setting. When it is done, I use an immersion blender to blend it in the pot, taking care to leave some texture and not completely puree it.
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Can I add chicken into this? If so, how would you recommend??
Rhoda, yes you can definitely add chicken to this! If you have my eBook, I suggest making my chicken tikka and adding it to this (you’ll love it!).
If I’ve just got frozen chopped spinach and fresh potatoes, how might I alter this recipe? Thx!
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Make it the same way, but when it’s done and once you open the pot, just press the “saute” button to boil off any excess water. Let me know how it turns out for you! You can add the potatoes right into the pot, but I think they’d be even better if you saute/roast them in a separate pan with some spices and add them at the end.
I’m assuming you can make lamb or chicken with this too? Would the meat be put into the Instant cooker too or cooked separately? Thanks! I love all of your recipes!
Yes, definitely! I suggest cooking the meat separately and then stirring it into the saag at the end.
Hi! So excited about this recipe. Is there a good way to add chicken to it? I think I tried saag with chicken at a restaurant recently and have been dying to make it ever since. ?
Genevieve, you can add cooked chicken at the end – just mix it into the saag 🙂 If you have my eBook, make my chicken tikka and add that to it!
Can I find mustard leaves at walmart or costco?
My goodness, this has become my favorite recipe. I’ve always loved saag, but ordering it from restaurants is so iffy. This is absolutely amazing. My grocery store was out of mustard leaves last night, so I subbed kale and swiss chard (I had the chard). It was excellent – the kale is hardier and bitter so it’s a good sub for the mustard greens if you can’t find them. I made chicken saag, and all I did was to use the instapot to cook the chicken first, then after I used my emersion blender, I added the chicken and let it stay on warm for about 10 minutes. Sooo good!
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I’m so glad to hear that, Christine! Thanks for the suggestion about substituting kale for mustard greens – that’ll help a lot of readers I’m sure 🙂 And love that you made this a chicken saag!
I consider this my go to recipe when I feel a cold coming on – with the ginger, turmeric, onion, garlic and greens it’s filled with immune boosting stuff. Seems to work well! 🙂
Great to hear that it helps! Our whole house has a cold now… this is inspiring me to make a batch 🙂
This sounds amazing! Turnips, spinach and mustard are my most favorite combination of greens. I can’t wait to try this out! Does this freeze well? I may have to make a double batch so I can try the paneer like one commenter did. That sounds just amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Hi Angela, yup this freezes well! And that combo of greens sounds delicious 🙂 Let me know what you think of this recipe when you make it!
Does it call for chicken or lamb? Could you add them? Would you use the same intant pot setting?
Thanks
I make chicken saag. I cook the chicken first, then add it after I blend the greens. I let it sit on warm for 10-15 minutes to mix the greens. Excellent
I don’t have any methi on hand, will the recipe backfire on me if I omit it? So excited to make this and the Dal Makhani. Fingers crossed these work b/c every indian dish I’ve attempted to make in the past on my own has backfired.
Hi Dipali! It’ll be fine even if you leave out the methi (methi just adds more flavor). I can’t wait to hear how these two recipes turn out for you!!
This came out awesome — thank you so much!! I left the methi out and it didn’t taste like anything was missing. I also enlisted the help of my 3.5 year daughter too. We are going to make another attempt at the dal on Sunday. Fingers crossed.
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I’m so happy to hear that, Dipali! Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m using kale instead of mustard leaves. Should I cut the stems off first? And are you supposed to cut or chop it before cooking it?
Hi Malorie, I’d remove the tough stems. You don’t have to chop the greens beforehand because you’ll be blending it all after it’s done cooking.
Ashley, you ROCK! I am so happy I found your site. I made your spinach saag last night, and it is so good! I couldn’t find mustard greens, so I used 2# of spinach and a Tbs of potato starch. I think I messed up on the potato starch addition, I.e. tempering it properly, because there are some chunks of Potato starch, but that’s okay – better luck next time. The flavor is so good, so comforting, and just the right amount of heat. I also made your butter chicken for the third time in 6 weeks. So amazing. I’ve been making it with chicken breasts and reducing the cook time to 11 minutes.
Thank you for having such a great resource for recipes, esp. for Instantpot online. You and your hubby, mom, dad and doggie are so precious!
Thank you!! I’m so glad you found my website too 🙂 Happy to hear that you like the saag and butter chicken!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is so easy and tasty; just incredible! My vegan husband and I love ordering Indian takeout, but I am so glad to have this wonderful recipe, where I can control the ingredients.
Palak Paneer is my favorite Indian dish, so I fry paneer in Brown Butter ghee and throw it on top for myself. But I have made this in a multitude of ways: with fresh greens, with frozen spinach, on the stovetop, and even vegan with tofu in the IP for my husband.
I am so excited to try your other recipes and your e-book! <3
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Carlie, I’m so happy to hear that you like the dish! Can’t wait to hear what you think of my other recipes! 🙂
I usually make your saag from the slow cooker recipe but happened to look at this one (I make it so often, I almost have the recipe memorized, but not quite), and I noticed a VERY important ingredient is missing – the serrano peppers! Thanks for all your tasty recipes, I can always rely on you to have really great ones that I want to make again and again.
Thanks, Jolene! And lol I love that you noticed that! I left the serrano out on purpose – the pressure cooker can make food very spicy (have yet to figure out why…) If you like the heat, definitely add it in 🙂
I’m super excited to try this! I love my Instant pot!
Is there a way to add chicken to this recipe? Thanks!!
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You can saute chicken before hand and once it’s cooked through, remove it with a slotted spoon and proceed to make the saag. Then add it back in before serving. Hope that helps!
Thanks- you just answered my question. I do wonder if there’s a way to put the chicken in and cook all at once. I may try browning first, then cooking with it.
I just love this recipe! It’s become a real favorite, and I use it with all kinds of greens. A weeknight go-to for me now is to do this with a pound bag of TJ’s organic spinach and one of the same of their organic broccoli. It’s amazing.
I do it with olive oil to sautee the aromatics, and a little Earth Balance to finish for plating as I don’t do ghee ( I’m a vegan. )
I’m hoping you’ll put up more veg recipes! Maybe even some vegan ones (hint hint.) While there are plenty of recipes out there from this part of the world, some vegan and some that I can tweak to make vegan, I always prefer to start with deliberately vegan ones – especially from chefs who know how to develop a recipe and already make other things I enjoy. I figure I’ve got a pretty good chance to find another one to love from someone who’s already doing something I really like.
: )
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Bett, I’m so happy to hear that! I’ll work on more vegetarian recipes! My brother and I are really close and he’s a vegetarian – he’s always asking me to post more too! If you eat lentils/legumes, I have a few Indian recipes on the blog that are vegetarian and can be easily tweaked so that they’re vegan.
Does this require any liquid to be added? I thought that everything cooked IP required liquid. Thanks!
I don’t add liquid because otherwise the dish would be too watery. The greens naturally release water. Hope that helps!
If I wanted to add Paneer to this, would I do that at the end and just let it sit? Thanks!
Yes!
thank you for this healthy and tasty recipe, Ashley. I tried it yday and came out so well. I used spinach and mustard green
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Radha, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Just got my instant pot a couple of weeks ago. Made this Saag, cause I love Saag! Made it once a long time ago and liked it well enough, but it was so labor intensive. This recipe is perfect! The spice level is just right for our tastes and it rivals any I’ve had in a restaurant (love to hit Indian buffets!) Gonna be eating a lot more Saag at home! Thanks much!
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Judy, that’s awesome! I’m so glad you made it and liked it 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out for you!
This recipe is the best I know of!! So easy and quick with the IP!! Perfect weekday dinner. I have made it a few times so far and my husband loves it.Thank you sooo much 🙂
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Hi Deepshikha! Thanks so much for letting me know how much you and your hubby like the dish 🙂
I made this last night and it came out delicious (paired it with the paleo naan btw, loveeeeee!!!) The cayenne made it a bit too spicy for me, so I will adjust that moving forward. My mom and masi are SO proud that I’m finally starting to cook Indian food, and I’m so happy that I get to make healthy Indian food that doesn’t upset my stomach. Any place I can find the nutritional info. for this (or did I overlook it?) Thanks for the delicious recipe, Ashley!
Vandana, I’m so happy to hear that you liked the saag (and the naan!). Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 I don’t have nutritional info on my website – I know there are calculators out there though. This may be a feature I add in the future as I get so many requests for it!
If you cannot easily find potato starch, here’s a simple hack. If you go to the “snack aisle” in your market and look for vegetable straws, they are almost entirely potato starch with a few veggies which would not hurt, either. A handful crushed or added whole to the mixture will a) dissolve and b) thicken the saag and c) add some nice flavor overtones.
BTW, the saag does get spicier with time. Yum!
Wow, that’s such a good idea! Thanks for sharing, Doug!
I just made for the fifth time! It is saved in my VIP pins in Pinterest as the Very Important Pins! I always make a half batch with all spinach for two. It’s perfect and enough for lunch the next day. Thank you!
Shawna, that’s awesome!! So happy you like the recipe so much 🙂
Soooo good! Better than some restaurants! I did not need extra water. used 1/4 red pepper as i don’t want spicy. It was a tad salty for me. Next time i week add potatoes and or chickpeas.
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Delicious. My family loved it. The taste is so much better than anything we’ve had in a restaurant. No, you don’t need liquid. I had doubts, but decided to follow the recipe anyway. It is so good!
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Frankie, I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
I don’t have kasoori methi. Can I make it without or is is a necessary ingredient ?
You can leave it out 🙂
Hi, if I want to add paneer to make Palak paneer , or Saag paneer, at what stage should I do so? Would be frozen paneer but can thaw in hot water if that is preferred. Thanks!
Kavita, just add paneer at the very end, press sauté and cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
Thank you! Just bought your book, too!
Awesome! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it! 🙂
I realize this is now literally years after the post and i am rather late to the instant pot game. Nevertheless, i feel compelled to write: 1) this saag recipe is one of the main reasons i use my instant pot. 2) With it, i have made a saag fan out of someone I live with who claimed (up until recently) to dislike saag. So, er, YEAH!
Sonia, that is awesome!! Love hearing this! Thanks so much for letting me know how much you like the recipe 🙂
I really love this recipe. I’ve tried many saag recipes in the past and never had one turn out quite right. This one is perfect and SO EASY! Even my elementary age kids love it! I’ve made it many times now usually exactly according to the directions, a few times with only spinach because mustard greens were not available. I really prefer it with both spinach and mustard greens. Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much!
Samantha, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you! I’m so glad your kiddos love it too 🙂
Is it possible to add chicken to this recipe? If so, should I cook the chicken under pressure with the greens, or separately and mix it in after? I’d love to be able to make my own chicken saag, and this recipe looks so easy, just missing the protein. Any tips would be appreciated!
I suggest cooking the chicken separately and then mixing it in afterwards. That’ll give you the best flavor!
Hi. I’ve had Saag before but with lamb or chicken. How would you go about making this for us meat eaters? Thanks much.
Hi Lee, if you want to add meat to the saag then I suggest adding it at the end so it’ll have the best flavor. Hope that helps!
Thanks! So with lamb, simmer for an hour after cooking?
Amazing recipe! made it today with no salt and still tasted like the best saag I’ve ever made!
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Tina, that’s so great to hear! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
I finally used my Instant Pot today after having it sit in the box since last Thanksgiving. Made the dal makhani this morning and it was good, so I was inspired to make the saag thus evening. I couldn’t find mustard greens so just used 2 lbs frozen spinach and added cubed sautéed tofu and it was delicious! And easier than regular pot cooking for sure or even Indian pressure cooker. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Gurminder, I’m so glad you used it and made both recipes!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Cooked this tonight and turned out so delicious! I couldn’t find mustard leaves so I just doubled spinach. Also, I didn’t have kasoori methi (too lazy to run to the nearest Indian market) but since recipe called for just a pinch, I omitted it. Still turned out wonderful! My 10 year old likes spicy but it was a bit too spicy for him. I think next time I’ll use little less cayenne and garam masala to make it mild for kids. Thank you for the recipe!
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I’m so glad you liked the recipe!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Hi I’m hoping to make this. Just wanted to check that it is npr and not quick release?
Hi Roopi! Yes, NPR 🙂 I’ve updated the recipe to include that information 🙂
This came out so great! I used a mix of baby chard, spinach, and kale. It was slightly soupy at first but fine after blending and adding paneer. My hubby was so impressed and said it was restaurant quality! I’m definitely making this on a regular rotation. Thanks !
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Lisa, I’m so happy to hear that you and your hubby liked the dish 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out!
I had the same problem as someone else. I was skeptical of the no water and ended up with the dish burning on the bottom of my pressure cooker.
I love saag and was so excited to find this recipe. I even bought the dried fenugreek leaves from Amazon!However, my saag was bitter and way too spicy. Maybe I put in too much cayenne since I love spicy food – but what did I do wrong that it was bitter?
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Hi Imogen, cayenne would have made it spicy, not bitter… I am honestly not sure why it would be bitter. As for spice – cayenne should be added according to taste as mentioned in the recipe. You can try adding some heavy cream to reduce some of the heat. Let me know if that works!
This website is amazing. The saag came out perfectly. Used 1lb or spinach. .5 lbs of kale and .5 lbs of mixed greens like baby kale, baby spinach, and baby chard. I am a saag fanatic and this was some of the best I have ever had! Thank you!
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Tony, I’m so happy to hear that you like my blog! Glad the saag turned out well for you!! 🙂
Delicious. Simple. Easy to make, thank you!
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Karen, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Hello- My mom used to make amazing Saag but she always said, adding ‘Bathua’ was really important and since I don’t find Bathua here , I never tried it but I loved your recipe, would you know if it would still taste the same without it?
Please advise,
Thanks
True
I was very excited to try this recipe in my instant pot. I love saag! I used all spinach and omitted the cayenne because the first time i tried it I used kale and it came out a bit bitter. With only spinach it still has a bitter aftertaste and I am wondering if it is because its a bit burnt? Im not sure if the spice mixture with onions is supposed to carmelize or if it is actually burning. Its not overly watery with all spinach for me so maybe I should add a splash of water? Maybe my saute setting is too hot on my instant pot? Is the coriander grpund coriander?
Thanks!
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Just got my Instant Pot and now realize what all the fuss is about! It’s so handy!! I’ve stumbled onto your website and want to complement you on providing easy to follow, delicious recipes that clearly state if they’re gluten free. I’m addicted. Maybe a silly question, is there a way to make paneer (full dairy) in the Instant Pot? Thanks!!
Heather, thank you so much for the kind words! Yes, it’s possible to make paneer – I have that on my blog list of things to make/share!
This recipe is amazing exactly as is! Better than any restaurant in my area, and relatively healthy thanks!
Tara, thank you!! So happy to hear that 🙂
This was amazingly delicious especially after letting the flavors develop over a day or two!!
I used 2 lbs of frozen chopped spinach from Whole Foods. During pressurization, i got the burn warning so i had to stir it up (there was so browning at the bottom) and add water. I repeated the pressure cooking, and got the burn warning again despite that. I decided to let it be. Soon the burn warning disappeared and when it was done, nothing was burnt or stuck at the bottom of the pot. And it turned out amazing.
What does everyone do when there’s a burn warning? (For this recipe and in general?)
Agnes, so happy to hear that you liked the saag! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 As far as the burn sign, if I’m certain that there’s nothing stuck on the bottom then I just let it be – but hopefully others will share their experiences too!
Amazing saag. I didn’t think it was possible to make it so tasty at home. 😉
I used 2 lbs of frozen spinach. I got the burning warning twice despite adding water. Maybe my instant pot got too hot during the sauté phase? I’ll try reducing the heat on sauté next time.
Added store bought paneer and it was really yummy. My dad who didn’t typically like Indian food and who usually avoid spicy foods really enjoyed it. I’ll make it without cayenne for my parents next time.
Agnes, I’m so glad you and your dad liked it!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
I’ve made if a few times now and I’m still getting the burn warning. :-/ what setting of high pressure do you use? Should i choose “less”?
This recipe is amazingly delicious. I had no idea I could make this tasty dish so easily and quickly. It tastes even better the next day or two or three! I added diced onions sautéed in ghee on top at serving time.
Thank you Ashley!
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Sapna, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the saag turned out for you 🙂
I made this recipe with my newly purchased instant pot. It had the right texture, but didnt have much flavor. It was bland, what do you think I did wrong? I think i added the spices a few minutes after the onions and garlic. Any key to making the flavor come out?
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Hi Chris, I wonder – are your spices older? Ground spices lose flavor over time… perhaps try adding more spices and see if that helps? It may also taste better the next day once the flavors have had time to marry. Let me know if this helps!
Made this for Father’s Day and it turned out so great, fast, AND EASY!!! I’m not much of a cook, especially for Indian food, but getting an electronic pressure cooker made a huge difference. I made rice, your rajma recipe, and palak paneer in less than two hours (prep included).
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Asha, that’s so great to hear!! I’m so glad you liked the rice, rajma and saag!! 🙂
Dear Ashley, I just got an Instantpot Mini (3 qt), so I’m looking for Indian recipes to cook in it. I’m going to try your rajma sooooon. But I was wondering if the quantities for this saag (and the rajma) would be okay for the Mini? What size is the Instantpot that you use? And are there any recipes that you think would be particularly good for this smaller size Instantpot? Thanks so much in advance for any info! Seema 🙂
Hi Seema! I test all of my recipes using the 6 quart but have heard from others that my recipes work well in the 3 quart and 8 quart — you can always ask in my Indian Food for Instant Pot group on facebook to be sure though! You can also halve the recipes to be on the safe side. Let me know how it goes 🙂
The recipe is super easy and mostly delicious :). My saag turned out a bit bitter. How do I fix it next time ? Also a quick question – is mustard leaves and Kale the same thing. I bought mustard leaves from Indian store but was wondering if I should buy Kale from farmers market next time.
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This recipe is amazing!! We have bought it at Trader Joe’s frozen and I wanted to make it at home. Let me tell you this recipe is FAR better! My kids and husband loved it! I wouldn’t change a thing in this lovely recipe. Thanks!!
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Thank you! That makes me so happy to hear 🙂
Loved this recipe but some bites had a grainy/almost like chewing on glass feeling. I followed the recipe exactly and it was thoroughly mixed with the immersion blender. Any idea what this could have been?
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I’m not sure why it would feel like chewing on glass… that doesn’t sound right at all. Maybe try blending it for longer or until smoother? Let me know how it goes if you try this again!
Trying one more time for the advice. Do you have any thoughts on why mine turned out bitter ? Want to try it again. But if there are tips on which part of mustard leaves to use ? I used Full stem with flowers.
Roma, mustard greens are bitter compared to spinach so if you prefer you can try using more spinach next time. Also, I only use the leaves not the stem. Hope that helps 🙂
This recipe was great! Added 8 oz of sliced mushrooms and halved the cayenne pepper and black pepper for our kiddos. The flavor was perfect. Thanks for posting… will definitely make it again & look forward to exploring more of your recipes!
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Joseph, so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of other recipes that you try!
I’m planning on making this over the weekend, but in case I can’t find the fenugreek leaves, what can I use in their place? Or is it something that can be omitted? I tried reading through the comments to find out, but there are soooo many to pour through 🙂
If you can’t find them you can leave them out 🙂
Hi! This recipe is on my list for this week! New to the instant pot world- how do you do NPR?
Kavita, NPR just means you leave the pot alone until the pin drops allowing the cover to be opened – let me know how it goes!
Love this recipe every time I cook it the more I love it simple and healthy. Thnx to Rotimatic get my makati ki roti too😍
Renu, thank you! 🙂
Saag is my favorite of all foods. I’ve made it at home, but I can tell this method will taste more like the Saag I order in restaurants. I like a lot of methi and a lot of chili powder with a little raita on the side. Can’t wait!
Daren, that’s awesome – I can’t wait to hear what you think!
really good. I use a 1.5 lb bag of Power Greens that i got from Costco.
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Lisa, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Wow, what a great recipe! I only had about half of the spinach & greens (I used escarole…grabbed it by mistake but it worked fine) but the flavor is fantastic and just the right amount of heat for me. After I used the immersion blender on it I added an entire 8oz block of diced paneer and simmered for a bit until that got soft. Mmmm!
Ryan, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the saag turned out for you 🙂
I just made this the other day and it came out SO. GOOD. Loved how easy it was to put together and the flavor is outstanding, plus it’s a great way to get your greens in for the day! Thanks so much for posting this 🙂
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Angie, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how the saag turned out for you 🙂
Omg this is delicious! I’m on a super healthy kick for radiation treatments for cancer. I love this dish, and this Instant Pot version is just what I need. I used broccoli and mustard greens. The veggies made enough water to cook as directed. Very cool! Thank you, Ashley. 🙂
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I’m so glad you liked it 🙂 Wishing you all the best with your radiation treatments!
Hi Ashley,
I haven’t tried yet but wanted to ask before hand that can I make more and freeze this saag? Your earliest response would be great appreciated as planning to make tonight.
Many thanks in anticipation!
Rupa
Hi Rupa! Yes, you can definitely freeze this saag 🙂
Love this! I especially like a mixture of spinach, beet greens and turnip greens, the mustard greens seemed a bit bitter to my tastes. I was trying to calculate the nutrition per serving– approximately how many servings do you get from this recipe?
Peggy, so glad to hear that! You can use whatever greens suit you best 🙂 Glad you liked it!
I followed your recipe on the stove top and it came out perfectly! I have a cooking question and would appreciate your advice. The way I made saag previously was to give the spinach a quick turn in the pot to soften them and puree them while they still had the bright green color (vs the stewed dark green). What is the effect of stewing the saag in the pressure cooker?
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Saraswati, I’m so happy to hear that! Not sure what you mean about the effect? I think it turns out really well in an instant pot 🙂
Can this method be used to make your Ramp Saag recipe, as well? (that recipe takes forever) If so, please add comments or repost that recipe as a pressure cooker recipe.
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Glenn, I haven’t tried but I don’t see why not! Good to know you like that recipe 🙂
I was wondering why the cook time is 15 mins. All other instant pot recipes I have seen for saag is 1 to 4 mins. So curious about the much longer cook time?
Ashley, I’m a big fan of your recipes and have tried (and enjoyed) multiple dishes. it has become my go to site for when I’m entertaining 🙂 so thank you for your work.
This recipe turned out great with a blend of spinach and tatsoi (Asian mustard) greens. Once ready, I added baked masala tofu cubes to add protein creating an alternative Saag paneer. I love and prefer your slow cooker saag when I have the time, but this is a close second when I am in a pinch.
Mavis, I’m so happy to hear that you like my recipes! Thank you for letting me know how the saag turned out for you 🙂 Love that you added tofu cubes to this!
Great taste! I did 12 oz spinach, 10 oz arugula, and cut the salt in half, quick release and then 5 min sautee’ing to thicken. Watch out for the hot splatter! You must use a tight weave splatter guard.
I live in California, so fortunately am near many excellent Indian restaurants. I wanted to better control my ingredients though, and I’ve been experimenting with a relative’s InstantPot, so I was excited to try your recipe. I like that it’s just veggies, and I can choose to add my my own protein to the sauce later.
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Cici, that’s great! I’m so glad you liked this 🙂
Thank you for this super easy version of saag – my absolute favorite. I have been trying to use up more of the scraps in my kitchen, so I ended up using arugula, two kinds of kale, and carrot greens for the greens and it turned out perfectly – no need to add extra liquid. I did set the pressure cooker for 20 minutes since kale is a much tougher green. My son went back for extra helpings and he generally does not like cooked greens. It’s a winner!
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Caroline, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
I made this tonight, and your recipe was PERFECT!! Loved the deep flavor, texture, heat, and it was so easy to make in the instapot! I love everything about it. Thanks so much for sharing, this is definitely going to be one of my go-to dishes.
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Rox, hooray! I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
This was fantastic! I was so excited to be cooking mustard greens. I was worried they would be too bitter for my teenagers but my whole family enjoyed this saag very much. Based on comments here I added 1/2 cup water to the pot (I was cooking a bunch of different dishes at once and didn’t want to have to babysit it in case of a burned-bottom warning) and the saag came out on the thinner side but still a great texture. Next time I’ll try it without water and see how it goes.
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I’m so happy to hear that your whole fam liked this dish! Thank you for letting me know how the saag turned out for you 🙂
Can you advise how many servings this makes? I dont see it anywhere in the recipe. I notice most of your recipes are for 4-5, so I was going to double this recipe, but that would mean 4 pounds of greens, which seems like a lot – even for 8 servings!
Please advise.
Hi Jamie, it’s so hard to estimate servings with Indian dishes because they are typically served alongside other main dishes. I would still say 4-5 though – I like to err on the side of having more than less especially when serving company. If you have leftovers this will freeze well. Hope that helps!
I replaced the mustard greens in this recipe with my beet stems and it was perfect. I have had such a hard time finding a use for the beet stems and now this is an easy go to recipe that is delicious. I will use it for dipping, or put it over chicken and quinoa for a heartier meal.
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Cassie, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how the saag turned out for you – glad you were able to put those beet stems to good use!
Great receipt. The only thing I would add is lime juice in the end. The reason is that the oxalic acid in spinach binds with the iron which prevents its absorption by the body. The trick is to add some lime juice to enhance its nutritional perks. Vitamin C helps convert the iron to a ferrous state, which makes it easier for the body to absorb,
Paresh, thank you for sharing that tip!
I made this with 2 lbs of frozen spinach. It was fantastic!
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Safa, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Perfection! I’ve tried 6 different saag recipes and this is the real deal! I was dubious as the others had cornflour, and asked you to add fried onions/spices at the end, but this tastes like your favourite aunt made this! SO delicious!
Cannot wait to make this again!
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Jai, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much you liked this recipe 🙂
Hi Ashley, can I substitute bathua leaves for half of the spinach? And does the saag retain the vibrant green colour in an IP?
This was pretty wonderful. I made it with what I had on hand, a 5 oz clamshell of baby kale and another of spinach, scaling down the spices proportionately. Made my own paneer too, in a mini version as well. I will certainly be buying larger quantities of these greens now!
I wonder if you have a recipe for a northern garam masala, I’d like to try that too.
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That’s great to hear, glad you liked it! I have that on my to-make list – stay tuned 🙂
Hi – similar to some others I am experiencing a bitter taste. I used the stems for the mustard greens, perhaps that’s the reason? Any suggestions to cut the bitterness?
Hi — I cannot have dairy. What about substituting full-fat coconut milk/coconut cream, extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil — or something else you suggest? Recipe sounds delicious — love the spices!
Hi Carol, I would just make it without the ghee and see what you think – add coconut cream at the end only if you feel it needs it. If you eat meat, try my chicken saag, the fat from the chicken thighs makes it so you don’t need ghee: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-chicken-saag/
Just made this … so good! First time making saag ever! Even Pakistani hubby was impressed. Thanks so much for sharing!
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Melissa, that’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that Ω:)