There is no chicken and no butter in this recipe but I didn’t know what else to call it, so easy ” vegan butter chicken” it is! I was thinking of calling it “Butter” Tofu but it really doesn’t have the same ring to it. Regardless of the name, it is seriously delicious. I would even give it lick-the-bowl status but depending on your table manners, I’ll leave that call up to you.
Healthy Homemade Indian Food
I love Indian flavours and cook a lot with spices like curry powder, turmeric, coriander and cinnamon. Along with chili powder, those are the spices that really bring this dish together. The cinnamon in it is awesome combined with the more savoury curry, chili powder and turmeric.
Fresh ginger and garlic are in there too, of course! I go through ginger and garlic at my house like there’s no tomorrow and I can’t remember the last time I was sick. Maybe it’s all the spices, maybe it’s a combination of things but whatever it is, I’ll take it!
MY LATEST VIDEOSCreamy Vegan Butter Chicken
This dish is rich and creamy, high in protein and packed with nutrition. The creaminess comes from blending raw cashews with almond milk, my typical go-to for replacing cream in recipes. I haven’t really ventured much into other options for replacing cream but I’m going to look into it since I know some you have nut allergies or intolerances. You might be able to get away with using tofu for the sauce but I haven’t tried it in this recipe.
Vegan Butter Chicken
This recipe is one of my new favourites, the flavour is unreal! Plus it takes less than 30 minutes to make, which is absolutely key for any meal at my house. I occasionally make meals that take longer but day-to-day, no thanks. Quick and easy is the name of the game! The ingredient list seems a bit long but it’s mostly spices and if you have a well-stocked pantry, you should be ready to go! You can even make this dish in advance as part of your weekly food prep. It keeps well, can be frozen and the flavours only improve the next day.
I’m actually pretty lazy when it comes to cooking. I get by on the basics and I’m not one to make really elaborate recipes or multi-course meals. I’ve been trying to focus on bringing you simple, plant-based meals lately so I hope you’ve been enjoying them!
Easy Vegan Butter Chicken
Incredible, vegan “butter chicken style” tofu ready in less than 30 minutes. This is so easy to make for a quick weeknight dinner!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews + 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (use vegetable stock or water if you prefer)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 clove garlic, minced
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 – 28 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 package organic extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Press your tofu for at least 20 minutes.
- Place the raw cashews and almond milk in a high speed blender and mix until completely smooth. Set aside.
- In a large pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.
- Add the ginger, garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes while stirring.
- Add all the spices and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, maple syrup, cubed tofu and cashew mixture. Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve with rice and fresh cilantro.
Notes
- It’s not 100% necessary to press your tofu if you’re in a pinch. However, I would recommend it if you have time. Simply fold a dish cloth around the block of tofu and set a few heavy books or plates on top of it. Let it sit for about 20-30 minutes. This presses all the water out so it’s able to soak up all the yummy Indian flavours!
I greatly appreciate your feedback and comments so if you try this recipe do come back and let me know how you like it!
Margaret
This looks SO good! I’ll have to give this a try for sure! 😀
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I love the vegan twist on this! I’m not personally vegan (or even vegetarian for that matter), but I’ve been trying to reduce the amount of meat I eat and this looks delicious! I actually had real butter chicken for the first time ever on Saturday night when I went to one of my Indian best friend’s birthday. SO GOOD!
Olga
Try making this dish with Butler Soy Curls which are exactly like chicken once rehydrated and used in any recipe requiring chicken. Absolutely fantastic!!! Oh, and if you are pressing tofu please use paper towels. Most people do not use fragrance-free laundry detergent. Those nasty fragrance chemicals from the dish cloth will get absorbed into your tofu. Stinkmovie.com
Meredith @ Unexpectedly Magnificent
Deryn, this is perfect timing! Mark came home from work yesterday and said he and his co-workers went to an Indian restaurant for lunch. He got Tofu Massala and said it was delicious! So now I have to make this for him soon. 😉
Deryn
Great! Let me know how you like it when you get a chance to try it!
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You can call this anything you want, and I’ll still take a giant bite. I love tofu, and it looks so tasty!
Better Wellbeing
What a great mix of spices! Can’t wait to make it myself!
Kelly
This looks so delish! Will be trying this one soon!
★★★★
Kiki
Tried your recipe tonight and it worked out really well. Before going vegan chicken butter massala was one of my favorite dishes and I think this comes really close. We all loved the sauce but are still not big fans of tofu, maybe that will come eventually. I made vegan naanbread with garlic and coriander to go with it, we ended up dipping the naan in the leftover sauce in the pan. Definitly will make this again, thank you for the recipe.
karen
Finally made this and it is so so yummy……..definitely a do again
Marina
I’m actually writing this as I’m eating it and dear god. There are no words… Just…Wonderful. It is a bit spicy so next time I’ll tone down on the chilli powder but holy crap this is good.
Christianne
Made this tonight, yummy! Thanks for the great recipe.
Christianne
A go-to recipe in our house. We are not vegan, but can’t have dairy–we have used this sauce on chicken and it is tasty. Another fave variation includes potatoes, cauliflower, peas, and spinach. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Judy
This is incredibly delicious and really easy too. My husband said it was was better than any butter chicken he has ever eaten before our vegan life.
★★★★★
Imogen Ryan
Just tried this and would recommend 1/2 Tbsp of maple syrup because the full amount is very sweet (and make sure to buy unsweetened almond milk). Apart from this really yummy and easy to make!
J Snake
This was really nice! I dry-fried the tofu a bit before adding to the sauce but otherwise followed it to the letter and it was very quick and tasty, thanks for posting!
★★★★★
Deryn
You’re so welcome!! Happy you enjoyed it!
Jenna Kocis
Did you soak cashews or blend as is!?
Deryn
I blended as is but soaking will result in a smoother sauce, make sure you’re using raw cashews either way. You can also do a quick soak in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Judy
I made this last night and it was delicious. Even my husband loved it and he’s not vegan.
Marlowe
This looks amazing! Roughly how many does this recipe serve? Thinking of making it for my boyfriend!
Deryn
I believe it makes about 4 servings, it’s been a while since I made it!
Nicolette Chartier
Hi, the recipe does not list any curry! I added two tsp of curry. I also doubled the cashews, cumin and coriander and blended the entire mix after sauteeing everything. I think that blending everything made the mix more tomatoey, not in a good way, so next time I make this I will use 40-50% less tomatoes to start and add until I get the right flavor. This was my first attempt at butter chicken sauce and it was not bad!
★★★
rr
Just made this recipe and it is delicious! Next time i’ll reduce it down to 1 tsp of cayenne pepper because I like to pair curries like this with spicy and tangy South Asian pickles. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Deryn
Oh yum, sounds amazing with pickles!! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for the comment!
Abby
Just WOW!! I recently tried several of your recipes and each time I was shocked at how much flavor you pack in while keeping the recipe really simplistic! This was phenomenal. I did half the diced tomatoes on accident, but it actually turned out great since we’re not huge tomato lovers. This will definitely become a staple in our home.
★★★★★
Deryn
Thanks so much for all your comments. I haven’t made this recipe in a while, it’s a good reminder to make it. You made my day with all your feedback, thank you so very much!
Kate Nelson
I would try using sunflower seeds or some other type of seed in place of cashews.