A plant-based version of one of the most popular curries at any Indian restaurant, this easy vegan butter chicken is incredibly easy to make. It has crispy bits of spicy tofu smothered in a velvety curry sauce for the perfect bowl of comfort food. This tofu butter curry knocks any takeaway curry right out of the park!
Butter chicken is a creamy and flavourful dish that's a classic of Indian cuisine. But just because you're a vegan, it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the same smooth and spicy curry that leaves you wanting for more.
Enter tofu butter "chicken". It turns out that if you cook tofu just the right way, it turns into something that has the same texture as chicken, with tons of flavour and none of the guilt.
This vegan butter chicken recipe is super easy to make, and it's ready in just 30 minutes (plus the time it takes to press the tofu). If you have extra-firm tofu, you don't need to press it, though.
What ingredients do you need?
- Firm tofu - Extra-firm tofu is perfect for this recipe. If you can't find it, make sure you press your tofu well for at least 30 minutes. The tofu should be firm enough not to break into pieces when you slice it.
- Spices and cornstarch - A mix of crushed garlic, garam masala, and olive oil give the tofu extra flavour, while the cornstarch helps to keep it all together. The end result is crispy tofu bits that are slightly spicy and actually delicious on their own. Don't munch on them, though, as you'll need them in the curry.
- Onion, garlic, ginger and green chilli - These form the base of the curry sauce and infuse it with flavour, so use fresh ingredients instead of frozen ones for the best resutls.
- Tomato paste - Use tomato paste to make the sauce extra creamy. Alternatively, you can use a can of crushed tomatoes.
- Full-fat coconut milk - Don't substitute this for the low-fat variety because the vegan butter chicken sauce won't be creamy enough. You can also use coconut cream instead.
How to make vegan butter chicken
There are two steps involved in making this vegan butter chicken with tofu. You start by coating the tofu in a mix of olive oil, spices, salt and corstarch and bake it for 20-25 minutes. During this time, you make the sauce.
Here's how to do it step by step:
- Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes using a tofu press or wrap the tofu block in paper towels and place a heavy pan on top.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Cut the tofu into 1-inch pieces and place it into a large bowl. Add the olive oil, crushed garlic, garam masala, cornstarch, and salt, and toss gently until the tofu is well covered in the mixture. Transfer the tofu to the baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the vegan butter in a large pan and sauté the onion for 5-6 minutes over medium heat until translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chilli and continue to cook for another minute.
- Next, add the curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and coconut milk until smooth and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Add the baked tofu to the pan and toss it well until well-covered in the sauce. Sprinkle the curry with fresh coriander if you like and serve it over rice and/or with naan bread.
Storing and freezing tips
It's quite difficult to have leftovers because this vegan butter chicken is so incredibly delicious, but if you do, they'll keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can also make a big batch and freeze it for up to three months. When you're ready to eat, defrost the curry in the fridge overnight and then reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
If you liked this easy vegan butter chicken, you may also like some of my other delicious vegan curries:
Aubergine Coconut Curry with Peanut Butter
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Easy Vegan Butter Chicken
A plant-based version of one of the most popular curries at any Indian restaurant, this easy vegan butter chicken is incredibly easy to make. It has crispy bits of spicy tofu smothered in a velvety curry sauce for the perfect bowl of comfort food. This tofu butter curry knocks any takeaway curry right out of the park!
Ingredients
For the spicy tofu
- 400 g (14 oz) firm tofu, pressed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the curry sauce
- 40 g (3 tbsp) vegan butter
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 small green chilli, deseeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 50 g (3 tbsp) tomato paste
- 1 x 400 g (13.5 fl. oz.) can full fat coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander, to serve, optional
Instructions
- Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes using a tofu press or wrap the tofu block in paper towels and place a heavy pan on top.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Cut the tofu into 1-inch pieces and place it into a large bowl. Add the olive oil, crushed garlic, garam masala, cornstarch and salt, and toss gently until the tofu is well covered in the mixture. Transfer the tofu to the baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the vegan butter in a large pan and sauté the onion for 5-6 minutes over medium heat until translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chilli and continue to cook for another minute.
- Next, add the curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and coconut milk until smooth and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Add the baked tofu to the pan and toss it well until well-covered in the sauce. Sprinkle the curry with fresh coriander if you like and serve it over rice and/or with naan bread.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 471Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 530mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 14g
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Byrn Alyn Shapiro
Can you use vegan mock meats? like chix etc?
Paris
I didnt do it but you can try:)
Jackie
This is sooo good! The tofu texture is like little bits of fried chicken in the sauce. I embellished a little and added a couple of very small sweet potatoes and some carrots to the roasting tofu mix. The key is to chop the veggies small so they cook all the way through. I also added a cup of peas to the sauce. I know traditional butter chicken doesn't have other veggies in the sauce, but I wanted them. Served with naan and rice, this was totally decadent! I used hot Madras curry powder but next time will likely split half Madras and half plain yellow curry.
Paris
Glad you liked it Jackie!