A super simple Vegan Butter Chicken Recipe! Crispy, buttery, tofu pieces simmered in an incredible creamy Indian curry sauce. Simple Ingredients. Ready in 30 minutes. Dairy free, Gluten free.
Yes you heard me Vegan Butter chicken! butter chicken without chicken or butter! Ha! Well it works! And it’s amazing. And it’s made from scratch in one pot! What replaces the chicken? – Tofu!
I adapted my own butter chicken recipe for this homemade veganized version and it will rival any Indian Restaurant! It turned out better than I even expected. Just took a few tweaks. The tofu works so well, has the best texture, kind of like chicken, moist, tender and slightly chewy.
The Butter Sauce is out of this world good!
I have made this recipe with tofu or chickpeas and both versions are equally delicious!
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken (Makhan Murg) is a popular Indian dish that originated in India in 1948. Chicken simmered in a super flavourful, mildly spiced, creamy tomato sauce, similar to British Tikka masala.
Ingredients for Vegan Butter chicken:
- Tofu
- Cornstarch
- Oil
- Vegan butter
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Garam Masala
- cumin
- cardamom
- Chili powder
- Curry powder
- Coriander
- Onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- Coconut milk
- Vegan yogurt
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Canned green chilies
What is the difference between Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala?
Tikka Masala is more intensely spiced, less creamy with more of a tomato base where as butter chicken, is creamier less intense and of course buttery😊 Both are mouthwatering Indian dishes! that can easily be made vegan! Yay for us!
How long will Vegan Butter Chicken Keep?
It will Keep covered in the fridge for 3-4 days
Can I freeze Vegan Butter Chicken?
Absolutely, freeze in a ziplock freezer bag or a plastic Tupperware container. It will keep in the freezer for 1-2 months. I like to freeze mine flat in a freezer bag for easy stacking.
To reheat from frozen: defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat on stove or in microwave.
How to Make Vegan Butter Chicken:
First prep all your spices, chop the ginger and garlic and measure out all the wet ingredients.
Puree the tomato sauce and the green chilies in your Nutra bullet or blender and set aside.
Slice the tofu lengthwise into three slabs. wrap in a couple layers of paper towel and gently press with your hands to remove some of the moisture. Slice into strips and then cubes.
Add the tofu to a medium bowl, mix in the oil first and then add in the cornstarch and salt. Mix thoroughly but gently.
Preheat a large non stick skillet to medium heat. When hot add the other tablespoon of oil and the tofu. Spread evenly in the pan. Cook for 3 minutes without stirring. Give it a a toss and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove tofu from the pan.
In the same pan add the vegan butter, ginger and garlic, cook for a minute while stirring then add in the spices. Stir for 30 seconds or so until fragrant
Add in the rest of the ingredients (minus the tofu) and stir until everything is combined. Bring to a simmer on medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the tofu . Simmer for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
Serve with basmati rice, little chopped cilantro and Vegan Naan Bread. Raita sauce and Mango chutney are also great additions. For full recipe ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
Enjoy!
Ok let’s make Vegan Butter Chicken! it’s:
super satisfying
buttery
gluten free
savoury
mouth-watering
full of spices
quick and easy
healthy
filling
delicious
creamy
Enjoy guys! Happy day to you😊 feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. I would love to hear from you.
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Here are some more Indian recipes for you:
- Vegetable Chickpea Indian Curry (Coconut Milk) (Vegan)
- Indian Mulligatawny Soup
- Easy Vegan Naan (Indian Flatbread)
- Vegan Raita (Indian Cucumber Yoghurt Sauce)
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PinDescription
A super simple, Vegan Butter Chicken Recipe. Crispy, buttery tofu pieces simmered in an incredible creamy Indian curry sauce. Simple Ingredients. Ready in 30 minutes. Dairy free, Gluten free.
Ingredients
For Tofu:
- 1 package extra firm tofu, I use water packed
- 2 tablespoons oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For Butter Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, I use Earth Balance
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled, grated and finely chopped ( I use a box grater)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion (powder)
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder or 1/8 cayenne
- 1/2 cup plain vegan yoghurt, I use Silk Cultured Coconut Plain Unsweetened
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 can (2 oz) (63 mls) chopped green chilies
Instructions
How to Make Vegan Butter Chicken:
- First prep all your spices, chop the ginger and garlic and measure out all the wet ingredients.
- Puree the tomato sauce and the green chilies in your Nutra bullet or blender and set aside.
- Slice the tofu lengthwise into three slabs. wrap in a couple layers of paper towel and gently press with your hands to remove some of the moisture. Slice into strips and then cubes.
- Add the tofu to a medium bowl, mix in the oil first and then add in the cornstarch and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly but gently.
- Preheat a large non stick skillet to medium heat. When hot add the other tablespoon of oil and the tofu. Spread evenly in the pan. Cook for 3 minutes without stirring. Give it a a toss and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove tofu from the pan.
- In the same pan add the vegan butter, ginger and garlic, cook for a minute while stirring then add in the spices. Stir for 30 seconds or so until fragrant
- Add in the rest of the ingredients (minus the tofu) and stir until everything is combined. Bring to a simmer on medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the tofu , simmer for an additional minute. Remove from heat. Season with a little salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve with basmati rice, little chopped cilantro andVegan Naan Bread. Raita Sauce and Mango chutney are also great additions.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- you can easily sub chickpeas for tofu!😊
How long will Vegan Butter Chicken Keep?
- It will Keep covered in the fridge for 3-4 days
Can I freeze Vegan Butter Chicken?
Absolutely, freeze in a ziplock freezer bag or a plastic Tupperware container. It will keep in the freezer for 1-2 months. I like to freeze mine flat in a freezer bag for easy stacking.
To reheat from frozen: defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat on stove or in microwave.
Keywords: vegan butter chicken, butter chicken, easy vegan butter chicken, creamy, indian, curry, curry sauce, tofu, without chicken,
Midge
July 31, 2019 at 5:31 pmI made this last nite ,so good ,especially the crispy tofu part .
★★★★★
Verna
July 31, 2019 at 6:08 pmso glad you enjoyed it Midge! thank you so much for your comment!
Wendy
July 27, 2019 at 9:51 pmIs that an oxymoron LOL
VEGAN-CHICKEN
Looks delicious…..thank you. 🙂
Verna
July 28, 2019 at 2:46 amhaha only way to describe it!😊 Enjoy Wendy