Vegan Butter Chicken
Servings: 4 people
- 16 ounces (450 g) firm tofu
For the marinade
- ½ cup (120 g) non-dairy yogurt soy or cashew is best
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1½ cup (400 g) tomato puree or passata
- 1 cup (240 g) vegan heavy cream or blended cashews (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ to 1 cup (120 - 240 g) water
Serve it with
- chopped cilantro, lemon wedges, naan, roti, or basmati rice
Marinate the tofu
- To a blender, add non-dairy yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, cumin, red pepper flakes, grated ginger, and grated garlic. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Drain tofu and pat it dry. Tear it into bite-size pieces with your hands.
- Transfer tofu pieces into a large bowl and toss it with marinade until fully coated. Note: you can use it immediately or let it sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Cook tofu butter chicken
- Melt the vegan butter in a large nonstick skillet.Add marinated tofu pieces without the marinade that's leftover in the bowl. Reserve leftover marinade for later. Fry tofu on medium heat for 10 minutes, turning it every 2-3 minutes until golden brown on most sides.
- Add leftover marinade, vegan heavy cream (or alternative, see notes), tomato pure, salt, sugar, and ½ cup water.
- Stir then simmer on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes until the sauce gets thick and creamy. Add more water if you'd like a thinner sauce.
- Taste and adjust for salt. Garnish with chopped cilantro and lemon wedges.
Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 portion of vegan butter chicken out of 4 portions.
SUBSTITUTIONS
- Non-dairy yogurt: use plain and unsweetened soy yogurt, cashew yogurt, or coconut yogurt.
You can also use our vegan sour cream.
To make it, boil 1 cup of cashews for 10 minutes, drain them and add them to a blender with ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend until silky smooth - 3 to 7 minutes.
- Vegan butter: some good ones are Miyoko's European Style Cultured Vegan Butter, Vioblock from Violife, Melt Organic Butter, Earth Balance, and Kite Hill, but there are many more.
- Vegan heavy cream: you can use a soy-based vegan cream (Alpro, Violife, etc.).
Alternatively, use our vegan sour cream, coconut milk, or half vegan cream cheese and half unsweetened soy milk mixed together.
- For vegetarians: you can use plain full-fat yogurt or greek yogurt, unsalted butter, and heavy cream.
TIP
Tear the tofu with your hands into bite size pieces. Don't cut it with a knife.
Hand-torn tofu has a rugged surface that grabs onto the sauce, making the tofu super tasty.
MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
- Make Ahead: vegan butter chicken is an excellent recipe to make ahead, as the tofu gets more flavorful as it sits in the sauce.
You can also let the tofu marinate the day before, then cook it the day after for a quick dinner.
- Refrigerator: transfer leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: let the butter tofu cool down completely, transfer it into a freezer-friendly container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: defrost in the fridge over several hours or in the microwave.
- Reheat: this recipe will thicken up quite a bit as it sits in the fridge or freezer. To reheat it, you'll need to add some water - about ½ to 1 cup. Reheat in the microwave or a skillet.
