Instant Pot Saag Aloo with Chard and Sweet Potatoes. Sweet Potato Chard/Spinach curry, ready in 25 mins. Serve this easy side with dals or curries or add to a bowl. Saucepan option. Vegan Gluten-free Recipe.
When Sweet Potatoes and Chard meet, you make Saag Aloo. Saag means greens or a dish made of greens, and Aloo is potatoes. I use Chard for the greens in this dish. Spinach, mustard or a mix with baby kale and other greens will work too. For the Aloo, I use sweet potatoes. Regular potatoes will work as a direct substitution as well.
A simple start with onion, ginger, garlic, some spices, then some non dairy yogurt or vegan cream of choice, pressure cook and done. Takes just 10 minutes to put together then pressure cook and wait 5 mins to release. Serve this easy Saag Aloo with Dals or bean curries. Pictured here with Punjabi Dal fry made with Moong Dal. Yuhmm!
The recipe can easily be made nut-free and in a Saucepan(instructions in the Recipe notes). Add some cooked chickpeas or lentils to make it into a meal.
More Instant Pot Recipes:
- Instant Pot Potato Chickpea Spinach Soup. GF
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup with Red lentils. – So Easy
- Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chickin(soycurls). GF – Creamy, Delicious
- Lentil Veggie Dhansak – Lentil Veggie Stew in IP.
- More Instant Pot Recipes!
Step by Step Photos
Assemble the ingredients, chop and set aside.
Toast the spices, then add onion and garlic and cook to golden. Then add in the tomatoes and greens.
Fold in sweet potatoes and non dairy yogurt, mix in. Close the lid and Pressure cook.
Serve with Dals or bean curries.
Instant Pot Saag Aloo - Sweet Potato & Chard Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil or use 2 tbsp water or broth to saute
- 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin , or 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) ground cardamom
- 1/3 tsp (0.33 tsp) cayenne
- 1 or 2 whole cloves (or use 1/8 tsp ground cloves)
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) turmeric
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) salt
- 2 cups (266 g) cubed sweet potato , or regular potatoes
- 2 cups (72 g) packed chopped chard , spinach or a mix of greens
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) water use 3/4 cup for saucier
- 1/2 cup (3.99 oz) non dairy yogurt or full fat coconut milk
- lemon and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in Instant pot on saute. When hot, add the garlic and ginger and mix and cook for 30 seconds. (Or use a tbsp of broth to saute).
- Add the onion and pinch of salt. Mix and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with a tbsp of water if needed, stir frequently.
- Add the spices and salt and mix in for a few seconds.
- Add the sweet potatoes, greens, water and yogurt and mix well to combine.
- Cancel saute, close the lid and pressure cook for 4 mins (manual hi). Then Release the pressure after 5 mins
- Add some coconut milk or cashew cream for creamier if needed. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add some garam masala if needed. Garnish with lemon and cilantro. Serve with dals, beans or curries.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
SUE says
April 11, 2018 at 3:18 pmThis sounds delicious and easy. I’ll be making this soon. Thanks Richa!
Richa says
April 11, 2018 at 7:14 pmThank you Sue! it is a super simple one.
I'Asha says
April 11, 2018 at 5:01 pmAre you going to write an Instant Pot cookbook or ebook? I’d definitely buy it.
Richa says
April 11, 2018 at 7:07 pmEventually. If it wasnt so exhausting, i would have already started working on it. 🙂 Till then there are a bunch of recipes here already http://veganricha.com/category/instant-pot
Marion says
April 14, 2018 at 12:38 pmI also hope you do an instant pot Indian cookbook. There are many recipes on your website but I think a lot of people, including myself, would buy it.
Kat says
December 10, 2020 at 2:24 amDear Richa, do you think I could use homemade cashew cream instead of the coconut milk? Will it be damaged by the cooking?
Richa says
December 10, 2020 at 8:06 amYes use cashew milk. Add it after opening the lid and mix in. If the food is hot enough you won’t need to sauté it and the milk will thicken in a minute or so
Kat says
December 10, 2020 at 8:50 amThank you, I will do that! ☺️
Mary says
April 12, 2018 at 4:25 amWow! Looks great! Going to market for a few supplies and making this today! Thanks Richa!😋
Mary says
April 12, 2018 at 8:31 amIf I don’t have whole cloves but do have ground cloves how would I substitute?
Richa says
April 12, 2018 at 10:18 amuse a good dash of ground cloves. (scant 1/8 tsp)
Maneesha says
April 12, 2018 at 10:43 amI can’t wait to try this, Richa! Could we use frozen spinach for this recipe?
Richa says
April 12, 2018 at 10:54 amyes
Maneesha says
April 12, 2018 at 1:21 pmHi Richa!! What a great recipe! Quick and Soo delicious!! I love the spinach and sweet potato combo! And the instant pot makes it so easy to make! Va re va!
Sue says
April 15, 2018 at 7:16 amHi Richa. I am ready to make this today, but have a question. Since you mentioned adding cooked lentils . . do you think I can throw some uncooked red lentils in? Would I need to adjust the amount of liquid? Thanks. <3
Richa says
April 15, 2018 at 10:30 amyes if using red lentils, use uncooked. you would need to add more liquid about double the amount of lentils.
Sue says
April 16, 2018 at 7:19 amThanks for your timely answer. It was delicious. I added 1/2 C red lentils + 1.5C water (for extra liquid). We all loved it!!!Your recipes are always spot-on.
Sue says
April 16, 2018 at 7:20 amThanks for your timely answer. It was delicious. I added 1/2 C red lentils + 1.5C water (for extra liquid). We all loved it!!!Your recipes are always spot-on.
Richa says
April 16, 2018 at 10:21 amyay!!
Richa says
April 16, 2018 at 10:21 amforgot to mention that you need a bit more salt and spices 🙂
IPnewbie says
October 27, 2019 at 11:25 amHow much more salt and spices would you recommend if adding the lentils?
Richa says
October 27, 2019 at 12:26 pmdouble the spices and 1/2 tsp more salt. taste and adjust for salt later
Christina says
April 23, 2018 at 10:04 amI would like to double the recipe for my family of 6, would I need to double all the ingredients including the water and will it affect cooking time?
Richa says
April 23, 2018 at 10:36 amCook time will be the same. Usually everything will double except water and heat (cayenne, chili etc) for most recipes. Use a bit less water (3/4 cup) and 1.5 times the heat instead of double
Katie Munoz says
April 25, 2018 at 7:38 pmThe flavors were delicious but it came out really watery (I used 3/4 cup water because I wanted it to be saucy). How can I make it thicker?
Richa says
April 25, 2018 at 10:33 pmUse less liquid and use non dairy milk or cashew milk. The moisture from the veggies and greens also adds to the dish and that can vary.
Laurel says
May 7, 2018 at 5:33 pmHow have I not seen this recipe? I will absolutely be making this one ASAP, it’s always been my favorite dish at the Indian restaurants. Thank you, even if you are always making me hungry. Haha. You know I just love everything you post and have for years. You’r amazing.
Richa says
May 7, 2018 at 5:51 pmyou found it now 🙂 its super easy and so good!
Allie says
June 9, 2018 at 4:11 pmI made this tonight with the recommended Punjabi Dal. Another really good meal. I love that you provide a link to which thing we might make with it. It really makes it so easy to try this and I appreciate your time so much.
Also, I finally bought your cookbooks. I’m so excited. They should get here the end of next week. 🙂
Allie says
June 9, 2018 at 4:35 pmActually, just wanted to pass along, my husband is not a vegan. He will sometimes eat a few bites but always he wishes there was meat and then goes on to make his big plate of meat dish. While I think he would like me to throw in some kind of meat, he was really very satisfied by it. And ate 2 helpings full. 🙂 So I want to give this a five star rating from my husband too. lol 🙂
Richa says
June 9, 2018 at 9:46 pmOh thats awesome! Great tasting and satisfying food is what I try to aim for. I am happy he loved it too!
Richa says
June 9, 2018 at 9:44 pmThats awesome! So glad they both turned out well! Thanks for getting the books! Lots of cooking in your future 🙂
Kristina says
June 17, 2018 at 3:26 pmThis was delicious. My husband even liked it and he never likes my cooking LOL.
I made it with the Punjabi Dal Fry and ended up mixing the two together.
On a side note, I made one batch of this saag aloo and then liked it so much I made a double batch more of it. I ended up using up the rest of the can of coconut milk. Love not having leftover can…
Richa says
June 17, 2018 at 3:27 pmyay!
Régine says
August 3, 2018 at 1:34 pmSomeone gave me tons of swiss chard from their garden. So, after making your Mom’s recipe with potatoes and tomatoes, I picked this one because I had everything I needed to make it, thinking “It cannot possibly be as good as the other one”. But yes, it was! I should have known! Thank you so much for the culinary inspiration 🙂
Richa says
August 3, 2018 at 1:38 pmawesome!
Kate Hall says
August 9, 2018 at 9:26 amI love your site! I put sweet potato and kale in the search box and this recipe popped up. So I threw it all in the IP with a couple substitutions and it’s great! so simple and fast & so tasty!
My subs were – 2 cardamom pods for the ground cardamom and almond milk instead of coconut milk. Also used no salt or oil.
Loved it!
Richa says
August 9, 2018 at 10:15 amawesome!
Bill Dickhaus says
December 28, 2018 at 6:25 pmGood blend of spices and aromatics and easy to make in the Instant Pot. I made this tonight and added chickpeas. I also used twice as much chard because that is what I had. I used a cup of coconut milk but also added another 1/4 of water and I should not have, it came out kind of soupy; the extra greens probably contributed to that as well. Still tastes great though. I served it with brown basmati rice and that was our complete meal.
Richa says
December 28, 2018 at 7:09 pmawesome! you can add some flour and simmer fora few minutes to thicken. All veggies and greens add moisture and the moisture stays in the pot in a pressure cooker.
Keren says
May 26, 2019 at 7:31 amI loved it. Used 1 small butternut squash instead of sweet potato because that’s what I had, and added chickpeas. I also used the last of some coconut butter I had, mixed with some water, to make it creamier. I might be richer with coconut milk but again, that’s what I had at home and needed to use up a bunch of chard. Wonderful flavours, thanks Richa.
Richa says
May 26, 2019 at 12:28 pmawesome!
Sharon says
August 3, 2019 at 12:22 pmThis was delicious!! I made a double recipe for 4 people and had leftovers to enjoy again. Worked perfectly in instant pot when doubled, and was ready long before the dal I was making on the stovetop, so have to remember to start that first next time. The flavors were amazing and I can’t wait to try more recipes.
Richa says
August 3, 2019 at 1:23 pmawesome!
Liz says
November 17, 2019 at 6:43 pmLoved this one! I substituted kabocha squash for the sweet potatoes for a lower-carb dish and it came out amazing – the spice blend is fantastic. I’m adding this to my weekly meal-prep rotation.
As someone who meal-preps a big batch of a recipe for the week I love your blog! This is the second recipe of yours I’ve tried, after having such success with the kolhapuri. I used to think Indian cooking was too complicated but you make it accessible, healthy, and delicious. Thank you!
Richa says
November 18, 2019 at 12:01 amawesome! so glad you found the blog!
M says
February 17, 2020 at 10:13 pmI had a bag of rapidly aging mustard greens from the grocery clearance rack, so I made this recipe with mustard greens in a saucepan over the stove. and it was delicious! 🙂
Richa says
February 18, 2020 at 10:30 amawesome
Emily says
April 22, 2020 at 4:51 pmThis was one of the most delicious things I ever cooked. Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support says
April 24, 2020 at 10:46 amI’m glad you enjoyed it.
Lali says
May 4, 2020 at 4:05 pmABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Not too heavy or spicy. Just yummy! I made it on the stovetop because I don’t have an Instant Pot. I used regular potatoes because my husband isn’t a fan of sweet potatoes, but I look forward to trying it with the sweet. I served over brown basmati rice, which was great, but I’ll try it with lentils next time for something different. Winning!
Vegan Richa Support says
May 5, 2020 at 6:55 pmThanks!! Perfect. I love brown basmati. Variety is the spice of life
Danielle D. says
July 12, 2020 at 9:05 amWe made this recipe regularly in the winter and spring when we were receiving sweet potatoes and greens in our CSA every week. It is easy to make and tastes delicious–the spices are so warming! We always add chickpeas to make it a one-pot meal (with basmati rice).
Vegan Richa Support says
July 12, 2020 at 8:30 pmI’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for the nice review! I love the chickpea addition!
Lisa says
July 13, 2020 at 6:59 amHi Richa,
I see this in the main part of the post: “Toast the spices, then add onion and garlic and cook to golden. Then add in the tomatoes and greens.” But I don’t see tomatoes in the ingredients list. Would you suggest adding, like, 1 tomato? Or is it better without tomato.
Just curious! 🙂 Thanks so much & all the best.
Nerissa F says
September 16, 2020 at 11:47 amI have saved this recipe for weeks and finally got a chance to try it out! Amazing! I love saag aloo so much and now it will be eaten often in my house. Thank you very much for the easy to follow and delicious recipe!
Vegan Richa Support says
September 17, 2020 at 8:34 pmyay! that’s what I love to hear
Chandana says
December 2, 2020 at 5:44 pmHi Richa ji
just wanted to know , how does the chard taste like ?
Does it taste like Indian palak ? Or methi leaves ? , or amaranth leaves?
want to try the new veggie .
What can I substitute in place of sweet potato for low carb version?
Richa says
December 2, 2020 at 9:57 pmCauliflower. And use whichever greens you like. I like chard as it’s milder
Flavor than spinach
Lauren says
December 7, 2020 at 1:42 amWould you share the recipe for the other side dish in the photo, looks like curry lentils, next to the rice?
Thank you!
Richa says
December 7, 2020 at 2:04 amIt’s dal fry. Try either the regular dal fry or Punjabi Dal fry veganricha.com/?s=dal+fry