Instant Pot Spinach and Mixed Vegetable Curry Recipe

Vegan and gluten-free mixed vegetable spinach curry made in the Instant Pot.

This creamy spinach curry is warmly spiced with coriander, cardamom and garam masala, and loaded with potatoes, carrots, peas and bell pepper. It’s flavored with coconut milk for a comforting, rich finish.

The Instant Pot makes one-pot cooking fast and convenient. Besides staples like rice, pasta and noodles, it’s great for layered meals—here I steamed the vegetables above the curry using a steamer basket so the greens could be pureed smoothly while the root vegetables cooked.

This Mixed Vegetables Spinach Curry

✓ Packed with flavor

✓ Vegan and gluten-free

✓ Comforting and versatile

✓ Pairs well with rice, quinoa or any bread

✓ Spiced with coriander, garam masala and cardamom

✓ Finished with creamy coconut milk

The ingredient list looks long, but once everything is ready this is an easy recipe. I used a steamer basket to cook the potatoes, carrots and peas while the spinach cooked in the pot. I added sliced red pepper later so it kept a slight crunch.

If you like, substitute or add other vegetables: green beans can be steamed with the rest; broccoli or asparagus should be added after pressure cooking to avoid becoming mushy. For more depth of flavor, use mixed greens (spinach combined with mustard greens, turnip greens or collard greens) and swap oil for ghee if you’re not keeping it vegan.

I enjoyed this curry served over rice, but it works equally well with quinoa or flatbreads.

Method

1. Press the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. When the display reads “Hot,” add oil (or ghee), the bay leaf and cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds sizzle for a few seconds.

2. Add the chopped onion, green chili, garlic and ginger. Sauté 3–4 minutes until the onion is lightly browned.

3. Add chopped tomatoes and deglaze the pot with a spatula, scraping any stuck bits from the bottom. Stir in coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, cardamom powder and salt.

4. Add the spinach in batches: add a handful, wait for it to wilt, then add more until all the leaves are wilted.

5. Pour in 1/2 cup water.

6. Place a steamer basket over the curry and add the potato pieces, carrot rounds and soaked green peas to the basket.

7. Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Pressure cook on High for 4 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then perform a quick release by moving the valve to Venting.

8. Open the lid, carefully remove the steamer basket and discard the bay leaf.

9. Use an immersion blender to puree the spinach mixture until smooth. (If using a regular blender, let the contents cool slightly before blending.)

10. Stir in the coconut milk and press Sauté again.

11. Add the cooked potatoes, carrots and peas back to the pot along with the sliced red pepper. Cover and let the curry simmer on Sauté for 2 minutes so the pepper softens slightly but retains some bite.

12. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, taste and adjust salt or spices. Optionally sprinkle a pinch of cardamom powder, then serve the mixed vegetable spinach curry with rice, roti or quinoa.

Stove-top Instructions

Follow the same steps through adding the spinach. After all the spinach is in the pan, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Puree the spinach, then add water and coconut milk. Add the vegetables and simmer 10–15 minutes until tender (cut potatoes smaller for faster cooking).

Notes

1. If you prefer not to use coconut milk, cashew cream works well, or for a non-vegan option add 2–3 tablespoons of heavy cream for richness.
2. Use ghee instead of oil for extra flavor if you are not keeping the dish vegan.