Restaurant-Style Butter Chicken Vegan (1 pan!)
Learn to make the best ever Indian restaurant style Vegan Butter Chicken! Marinated and crisped Tofu in a creamy, decadent Indian butter curry sauce, the most delicious you’ll ever taste! (gluten-free with nut-free and soy-free options)
I have many butter chicken recipes on the blog already. There’s my Instant Pot butter chicken, which uses soy curls. There’s my super quick butter chickpeas that takes just 10 minutes to put together, and it’s almost a dump-and-done recipe. I also have lots of fusion butter chicken recipes! But, I didn’t have a restaurant-style butter chicken that is decadent, complex spiced, smoky, mind-glowingly delicious, smooth and creamy, like the sort you’d get at an Indian restaurant, so I created this one for you! This vegan butter chicken with is perfect to serve for any party, dinner, holiday, thanksgiving, family get together and will please anyone and everyone!
Make this at your next dinner party to impress your guests!
What is Butter Chicken?
There are several stories associated with butter chicken. One of them has this restaurant wanting to use up their leftover tandoori chicken (marinated and grilled chicken) so they made this creamy smooth tomato sauce and simmered the day old dryish chicken. The butter chicken sauce is translation from Makhani sauce which means – like makkhan – like butter, so smooth like butter :). The sauce hence usually gets strained to move fibrous ness to get a silky smooth sauce.
There are also variations of the sauce based on region, chef, recipe. Some sauces have onion, some don’t, spices may vary slightly, some are creamier and some lighter and so on. This version is adapted from my luscious makhani sauce for my Indian whole roasted cauliflower.
Protein: We are using tofu as the chicken substitute, and we tear it into these organic shapes to help the tofu absorb the marinade and also crisp up just like chicken on the stovetop. It even gets that firm, chicken-like texture. If you don’t want to use tofu, you can use vegan chicken substitute of choice, such as soy curls, chickpea tofu, or just add some beans or roasted veggies to the sauce.
- To pan fry, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the tofu until crispy on both sides.
- To bake, sprinkle oil over the tofu and bake at 400°F for 20-30 minutes until the edges are crisp.
- To air fry, drizzle oil over the tofu and air fry at 370°F for 8 minutes, then flip and air fry for another 2-4 minutes until crispy.
Make the sauce by cooking onions, spices, tomato puree, cashews, and coconut milk together, then blending until smooth. Add the sauce back to the skillet with spices like bay leaves and cardamom, adjust the flavor, and simmer with the crispy tofu. Serve with garnishes like cilantro, lemon juice, green chili, and pepper flakes. Optional: smoke the sauce for a restaurant-style flavor. This recipe is naturally gluten-free and can be made nut-free by using alternatives to cashews.
After the tofu has crisped on the bottom, stir occasionally until all sides are golden and crisp, for about 10 to 12 minutes total. Remove the tofu from the skillet and set aside.
Next, in the same skillet, add a bit more oil and then add the whole spices and onion. Sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.
Now, add the tomato puree, cashews, and coconut milk to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
Finally, add the fried tofu back to the skillet, and simmer for another 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro, lemon juice, sliced green chili, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Once the tofu has started to release from the pan, flip it and continue cooking the other side, repeating 2 to 3 times until the tofu is golden and crisp on most edges, which may take 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.Refer to the recipe card for baking and air fryer instructions.
Lower the heat to medium and add oil to the same pan used for the tofu. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and coriander seeds, stirring until the cumin seeds change color and become fragrant, which can take 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Add chopped onion and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, cooking until the onions are translucent. Add a splash of water as needed to cook the onions evenly without reducing them too much.
Once the onions are translucent, add a splash of water and the ginger garlic paste, followed by all ground spices and remaining salt. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then add tomato puree and bring it to a boil.
Stir in cashews and coconut milk, letting it simmer for 4 to 5 minutes before cooling for 5 to 10 minutes. Blend the sauce with a cup of water until smooth.
In the same skillet, heat vegan butter or oil over medium heat, adding bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, and a cinnamon stick. Adjust the color with Kashmiri chili powder if needed, then pour in the blended sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning and consistency as desired.
Fold in the crispy tofu and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes before garnishing with cilantro, lemon juice, chopped green chili, and optional pepper flakes. Crush fenugreek leaves for an extra touch.
For a smoky flavor, smoke the sauce with a charcoal or cinnamon stick for 5 minutes.
Serve vegan butter chicken with rice or naan.
You can also get creative and use this delicious vegan butter chicken sauce to make a pizza! It also pairs well with cumin scented rice or a traditional North Indian biryani, such as Lucknowi biryani.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this recipe allergy friendly?
This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
To make it nut-free, simply use nut-free non-dairy yogurt and vegan butter, skip the cashews, and opt for more coconut milk or a combination of hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds. To make it soy-free, choose soy-free non-dairy yogurt, vegan butter, and a soy-free vegan chicken substitute like chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, or seitan.
Can I make this ahead or freeze?
Yes, you can prepare the entire dish and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a skillet or microwave when ready to eat.
For freezing: I recommend freezing the sauce or the sauce and tofu separately. Reheat them individually in the microwave or skillet, or combine them in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly. Adjust the consistency with more milk if needed and add fresh garnishes before serving.
"Rewrite the text for brevity." sentence "The cat chased the mouse through the house" as "Through the house, the mouse was chased by the cat".
