Coarsely chop or slice onions, mince ginger and garlic. Peel and chop potato in ½-inch cubes. Wash the baby spinach, if not pre-washed.
Turn on the Instant Pot on Saute (high). When it displays 'hot', add oil and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds begin to sizzle, add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic, and saute another minute.
Add salt and spices along with a few tablespoons of water, and stir well. Cancel Saute.
Add 1 cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pot well. Add spinach and gently push it down to fit all in.
Place the cut potatoes on a steamer basket and sprinkle ¼ teaspoon garam masala over them. Lower the steamer basket in the instant pot and place it over the spinach. Gently push it down so it fits well.
Close the lid and cook for 4 minutes on Pressure cook or manual at high pressure, on sealing mode.
After pressure cooking is done, release the pressure manually (QR). Using an immersion blender, puree the spinach mix. If the quantity is less for blending, tilt the pot a bit.
Add the cooked potatoes in the pureed spinach curry. Serve hot with cumin rice or naan. Enjoy!
Stove-Top Recipe
Heat a deep sauce pan on medium high heat. Since spinach puree tends to splash when simmering, using a deep sauce pan prevents it from messing the cooktop.
Add oil and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds begin to sizzle, add crushed ginger and garlic. Add sliced onion and green chili, and sauté for a minute.
Add salt, spices and stir well. Then, add ¾ cup water, stir, cover the pan and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat.
Meanwhile, take cubed potatoes in a microwave safe bowl and add 2 to 3 tablespoons water to it. Microwave it for 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Keep the potatoes aside for later.
Open the lid of the pot and add ½ a bag of baby spinach and stir to wilt. Add the remaining spinach and wilt for around 2 to 4 minutes. Saute for another 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Using a hand immersion blender puree the spinach mix. Add a little water if needed.
Add cooked potatoes to the pot and stir with the spinach curry. Serve hot with cumin rice or naan.
This recipe has been tested in 3qt and 6 qt Instant Pot models.
Choose one or more of your favorite dark greens. I use pre-washed baby spinach, but if you like mustard greens or collard greens, feel free to use a combination of those instead, like in this sarson ka saag recipe.
For ease of blending the curry, I use an immersion blender. I highly recommend adding this tool to your kitchen if you don’t have one already. It makes making curries, sauces, and other dishes much much easier. However, if you're using a countertop blender, wait for the curry to cool for 10-15 minutes before pureeing.
While pureeing, to avoid the spinach from splattering, tilt the pot a bit till the blender head is completely submerged in the sauce.
Make sure you do a quick release immediately following the pressure cook time. This will prevent the potatoes from falling apart and spinach from overcooking.
Before closing the lid to your Instant Pot, make sure you use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot. This helps you avoid the burn notice from stuck-on foods.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.