Palak Kadhi or Indian spinach yogurt soup is an easy and delicious curry recipe where spinach puree is cooked in a yogurt chickpea mixture and flavored with spices made in an Instant Pot pressure cooker or stovetop.

The kadhi dish has several variations. Every state, region, and household in India has its own version. I usually make authentic Punjabi Kadhi Pakora or Gujarati Kadhi at home.
But recently, I saw Chef Sanjeev Kapoor Palak Kadhi recipe made on the stovetop pot, which is healthier than the regular kadhi because of the addition of spinach.
I wanted to try this Spinach Kadhi in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, and this is how I made this recipe. This recipe of Kadhi is slightly on the thicker side. You can adjust the water according to your preference and add pakodi's just before serving.
More recipes you can make with spinach Spinach Pulao/Spinach Rice, Spinach Khichdi, Spinach Corn Rice.
How to Make Palak Kadhi in Instant Pot
Preparing Palak Yogurt Mixture:
Puree spinach (palak), ginger, green chilies with ½ cup of water in a blender to a smooth paste.
Whisk together the besan, yogurt, turmeric powder, and salt to a smooth batter.
Add pureed spinach, water and mix well. Keep aside.
Preparing Palak Kadhi in Instant Pot:
Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil (or ghee), and once it's hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies, and fenugreek (methi seeds). Let them crackle.
Next, add asafoetida, and curry leaves and saute for 15 seconds.
Then add chopped onion. Saute till onions turn light brown. This step is optional. I didn't add onions to this recipe.
Add the spinach-yogurt-gram flour batter into the pot and mix well.
Place the trivet and then the bowl of rice with water. This way, they will both cook together.
Close the lid on the pot, and turn the pressure valve to SEALING position. Set the pot to SOUP (High Pressure) and increase the timer to 5 minutes.
We are using the SOUP setting to avoid the yogurt coming to a vigorous boil, which could cause it to separate.
Once the pot beeps, let it release the pressure naturally(NPR) for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid away from you, and add chopped spinach. Stir it all up until the spinach wilts. Also, adjust the consistency of the kadhi at this point. If it's thick, turn on SAUTE mode, add some water, and simmer for 2 minutes.
Instant Pot Palak Kadhi or Indian Spinach Yogurt Soup is ready to enjoy with steamed rice, jeera rice.
Stovetop Pot Palak Kadhi
- Puree spinach (palak), ginger, green chilies with ½ cup of water in a blender to a smooth paste.
- Whisk together the besan, yogurt, turmeric powder, and salt to a smooth batter.
- Add pureed spinach, water and mix well. Keep aside.
- Take a Kadai/pot. Add oil/ghee, and once it’s hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies, and fenugreek (methi seeds). Let them crackle.
- Next, add asafoetida curry leaves and saute for 15 seconds.
- Then add chopped onion. Saute till onions turn light brown in color. This step is optional.
- Add the spinach-yogurt-gram flour batter into the pot. At this stage, keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps and bring it to a boil.
- Next, reduce the heat and simmer for 6 – 8 minutes, stirring at regular intervals to avoid the kadhi from curdling. If you find the kadhi too thick in consistency, add extra water.
- Once done, add chopped spinach. Stir it all up until the spinach wilts.
- Add extra ghee tempering on top if you wish, and serve Palak Kadhi or Indian spinach yogurt soup hot with steamed rice.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Palak Kadhi with jeera rice or steamed rice. But can be eaten with quinoa, brown rice, or even as a yogurt soup.
Tips & Variations
- Use sour curd. If you do not have sour curd, then keep the yogurt at room temperature for 2-3 hours or add lime juice, in the end, to make the kadhi sour.
- Cook the Kadhi in a SOUP setting to avoid the yogurt coming to a vigorous boil, which could cause it to separate.OR you can also cook on PRESSURE COOK mode (low pressure) for 8-10 minutes.
- Use full-fat yogurt.
- You can also prepare besan pakodas and add them to the gravy just before serving.
- If the palak kadhi splits, then add more besan that has been mixed with water to make a paste and recook the kadhi.
FAQs
Palak Kadhi can be refrigerated for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Kadhi freezes well in the freezer, but it has to defrost naturally and then be reheated on the stovetop on medium-low heat, or else it will split. Avoid heating in a microwave, and there are chances to split.
If you like spinach, then check out more Spinach Recipes
More Instant Pot Curry Recipes
- Rajma Masala
- Black Eye Pea Curry (Lobia Curry)
- Lauki (Bottle gourd) Sabji
- Whole green moong dal
- Sprouts Curry
- Mushroom Masala
Instant Pot Palak Kadhi Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For Palak Kadhi Mixture
- 2 cups spinach (palak)
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 green chillies
- ½ cup water to make the spinach puree
- 1 cup full fat sour curd (yogurt) Or katta dahi
- 2-3 tablespoon besan (chickpea flour)
- 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt to taste
For Kadhi:
- 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- 3 dry red chillies
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- a pinch asafetida (hing)
- ½ cup onion finely chopped (optional)
- salt to taste
- 1 cup spinach (palak) finely chopped
Extra Tempering:
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
Instructions
Preparing Palak Yogurt Mixture:
- Puree spinach (palak), ginger, green chilies with ½ cup of water in a blender to a smooth paste.
- Whisk together the besan, yogurt, turmeric powder, and salt to a smooth batter.Â
- Add pureed spinach, water and mix well. Keep aside.
To make Palak Kadhi in Instant Pot:
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil/ghee, and once it's hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies, fenugreek (methi seeds). Let them crackle.
- Next, add asafetida, curry leaves and saute for 15 secs.
- Then add chopped onion. Saute till onions turn light brown. This step is optional. I dint add onions to this recipe.
- Add the spinach-yogurt-gram flour batter into the pot and mix well.
- Place the trivet and then the bowl of rice with water. This way, they will both cook together.
- Close the lid on the pot, and turn the pressure valve to SEALING position. Set the pot to SOUP (High Pressure) and increase the timer to 5 minutes.
- We are using the SOUP setting to avoid the yogurt coming to a vigorous boil which could cause it to separate.Once the pot beeps, let it release the pressure naturally(NPR) for 10 minutes.
- Remove lid away from you, add chopped spinach. Stir it all up until spinach wilts. Also, adjust the consistency of the kadhi at this point. If it's thick, turn on SAUTE mode, add some water and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Instant Pot Palak Kadhi or Indian Spinach Yogurt Soup is ready to enjoy with steamed rice, jeera rice.
To make Palak Kadhi on Stovetop pot:
- Follow the same steps to make palak yogurt mixture as above.
- Take a Kadai/pot. Add oil/ghee and once it’s hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies, fenugreek (methi seeds). Let them crackle.
- Next add asafoetida, curry leaves and saute for 15 secs.
- Then add chopped onion. Saute till onions turn light brown in color. This step is optional.
- Add the spinach-yogurt-gram flour batter into the pot. At this stage keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps and bring it to a boil.
- Next, reduce the heat and simmer for 6 – 8 minutes, stirring at regular intervals to avoid the kadhi from curdling. If you find the kadhi too thick in consistency, add extra water.
- Once done add chopped spinach. Stir it all up until spinach wilts.
- Add extra ghee tempering on top if you wish and serve Palak Kadhi or Indian spinach yogurt soup hot with steamed rice.
Notes
Tips & Variations
- Use sour curd, if you do not have sour curd then keep the yogurt at room temperature for 2-3 hours or add lime juice, in the end, to make the kadhi sour.
- Cook the Kadhi in a SOUP setting to avoid the yogurt coming to a vigorous boil which could cause it to separate.OR you can also cook on PRESSURE COOK mode (low pressure) for 8-10 minutes.
- Use full-fat yogurt.
- You can also prepare besan pakodas and add them to the gravy just before serving.
- If the palak kadhi splits, then add more besan that has been mixed with water to make a paste and recook the kadhi.
Nutrition
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