Delicious vegan Indian recipe
This vegan butter chicken will blow your mind. Creamy and comforting without any dairy. Made with seasoned tofu that’s baked to crispy perfection then mixed in a delicious creamy masala.
This recipe is
- healthy
- vegan & vegetarian
- gluten free
- easy
- dairy free
- Indian
- high in protein (1)
Ingredients
All of these ingredients can be found in your grocery store.
- Extra firm tofu – If you want the tofu to be chewy like chicken, make sure to use extra firm tofu. We’re going to press then bake the tofu as well to add even more chewiness.
- Crushed tomatoes
- Dairy free unsweetened yogurt – I will give tips later, on what to use if you don’t have any dairy free yogurt on hand. My favorite is the Forager, unsweetened cashew yogurt. Or Silk unsweetened soy yogurt.
- Onions
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Garam masala – this can easily be found in the spice section of your grocery store. You can also order it online.
- Cinnamon
- Maple syrup – It doesn’t make the dish sweet but is used to help balance out the acidity of the tomatoes, like in pasta sauce.
- Dairy free butter – or a neutral tasting oil
How to make vegan butter chicken
- First we prepare the tofu by pressing it, adding seasonings, then baking it for 30 minutes.
- While the tofu is baking we prepare the masala sauce by sauteing onions, garlic and ginger in some vegan butter. Then we add in the spices and tomatoes and simmer.
- After about 2 minutes, we add in the dairy free yogurt and maple syrup and we let everything simmer for 10 minutes.
- Once the tofu is done baking, let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir it into the sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes.
How to serve
This goes amazingly well on some basmati rice or with some Indian bread like chapati, roti or vegan naan.
Top with some fresh cilantro.
Recipe tips
If you don’t have a tofu press (Use code DAMNTASTY for 10% off) you can press the tofu by placing a towel over the tofu, then adding on some heavy books or pans.
Storing tips
This dish can last in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5-7 days.
FAQ’s
Can I make this oil free?
Absolutely! Instead of sauteing with butter, just use water. And leave it out of the tofu when baking the tofu as well.
What if I don’t have dairy free yogurt?
You can use a can of full fat coconut milk instead.
Or you can make cashew cream by soaking ½ cup raw cashews in boiled water for 10 minutes, then blending them with ½ cup of water until liquid smooth.
Can I add in vegetables?
Yes! I usually love adding in some cauliflower, carrots, peas or potatoes to this dish to add more veggies.
More recipes you’ll love
- Vegan Thai red curry
- Vegan chickpea curry
- Aloo gobi matar
- Vegan chicken noodle soup
- Vegan chana masala
- Easy vegan chicken
- Lentil and chickpea curry
- Spinach and chickpea curry
Vegan butter chicken
Ingredients
Tofu
- 2 (16 ounce) blocks extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
Creamy masala
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (or oil)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 16 ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup water
- 1½ cups unsweetened dairy free yogurt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Top with fresh cilantro and serve over rice
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 420 degrees. Press the tofu for 15-20 minutes. Then cut or tear into bite sized pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the tofu, corn starch, 2 tablespoons of oil, curry powder and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well. Spread on a lined or oiled baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.2 (16 ounce) blocks extra firm tofu, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoon corn starch, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons curry powder
- While the tofu is cooking, in a large sauce pan add the vegan butter on medium heat. Then add the diced onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, salt and all of the spices and cook for 2 minutes.1 tablespoon vegan butter, 1 small onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the crushed tomatoes and ¼ of water. Cover and let every cook for 5 minutes. Add the dairy free yogurt and maple syrup. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.16 ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes, ¼ cup water, 1½ cups unsweetened dairy free yogurt, 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Once the tofu is done baking, let it sit for 5 minutes. Then stir it into the curry sauce. Let everything simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve over white rice or with Indian bread like roti, or vegan naan. Top with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
If you liked this recipe, make sure to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board by clicking the image below
Ana
Loved this, such a simple recipe but it tasted amazing! Also love how your recipes list the relevant ingredient quantities for each step, super helpful on mobile to prevent having to scroll up constantly. Will definitely be using this website more!
Maria
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Ana! And I’m glad the recipe ingredients in the instructions were helpful. I always love seeing that and it makes it so much easier to cook. I’m working on getting all of my recipes to do that.