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Restaurant-Style Butter Chicken Vegan
5 from 42 votes

Restaurant-Style Butter Chicken Vegan

This vegan take on butter chicken uses tofu marinated in yogurt and a blend of Indian spices to mimic the traditional tandoori chicken texture and flavor. It is cooked with a creamy, spiced tomato sauce made from onion, ginger-garlic paste, kasoori methi, coconut milk, and cashew nuts, delivering a rich and aromatic dish. The tofu is pan-fried to crispness before finishing in the flavorful sauce, providing a satisfying vegan alternative to the classic.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 282 kcal
Course: Main Course, Baked Goods
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For the Tofu Chicken
  • 14 ounces tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes, then torn into 3/4” bite-sized pieces, extra firm
  • 2 tablespoons Non-Dairy yogurt or non dairy cream
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste or use 3 cloves minced garlic and 1/2” ginger, minced plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek leaves kasoori methi, dried
  • 2 teaspoons kashmiri chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala or use 1/8 teaspoon Indian sulfur salt (aka kaala namak or black salt, blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch or other starch
  • 2 teaspoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
For the Butter Chicken Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds or use 1 tablespoon ground coriander (add later, with the garam masala)
  • 1 1/2 cups onion red, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
  • 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste or use chopped 6 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek leaves dried
  • 10 ounces tomato puree or unseasoned tomato sauce/ passata, canned
  • 3 tablespoons cashew nuts raw
  • 1 cup coconut milk
For the Spiced Oil
  • 1 teaspoon vegan butter or oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 green cardamom pods partially opened
  • 2 clove whole
  • 1" or 2" cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek leaves crushed, dried
For Garnish
  • green chili
  • cayenne
  • pepper flakes
  • cilantro chopped, green chili such as Serrano
  • lemon juice

Instructions

Make the tandoori tofu chicken.
    Cup of Yum
  1. Press and tear the tofu, if you haven't already, and add to a bowl. (To press the tofu, use a tofu press or wrap in kitchen towel, and place some books or cutting board on it and let sit for 15 minutes. Then tear into bite size pieces). Add in the non-dairy yogurt and ginger and garlic paste and toss well to coat the tofu. Then, in a small bowl, mix all the spices, salt, and cornstarch really well, and sprinkle it all over the tofu. Toss well to coat. Now, you can pan fry, bake, or air fry the tofu.
  2. To pan fry, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, spread the oil on the skillet and then transfer the coated tofu onto the skillet, and spread into a single layer. Let this tofu sit undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, so that the bottoms can crisp, and it can release from the pan. Once the tofu is releasing from the pan, flip the tofu and continue to cook the other side, and repeat 2 to 3 times, until the tofu is golden and crisp on most of the edges. This can take anywhere from 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside for now.
  3. To bake, sprinkle the oil over the tofu, then spread that onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° F (206° C) for 20 to 30 minutes, until some of the edges are crisp. 
  4. To air fry, drizzle the oil over the tofu, and place onto a piece of parchment paper inside your air fryer. Air fry at 370° F (188° C) for 8 minutes, then move it around, and then air fry for another 2 to 4 minutes, until some of the edges are crisp.
Make the sauce.
  1. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the oil to the same pan you used for the tofu. Once oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and coriander seeds and mix, and let the cumin seeds start to change color significantly and get fragrant. This will take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on your pan. 
  2. Add in the chopped onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook until the onions are starting to turn translucent. Add a splash of water in between to help the onions cook evenly. (We don't want the onions to reduce too much, because we're also using the onions as some of the volume of the sauce). Once the onion is translucent, add a splash of water and the ginger garlic paste. Mix well, then add in all of the ground spices and remaining salt. Mix and cook this for 30 seconds if you’re using ginger garlic paste, and cook this for up to 1 minute for minced ginger and garlic. Add a splash of water or oil to help the minced garlic cook. Then, stir in the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. Then, mix in the cashews and coconut milk. Bring that to a boil, then let this simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, then switch off the heat and let the sauce cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Add the cooled sauce to a blender with a cup of water, and blend until smooth. I usually blend it for a minute, and then let it sit for 4 or 5 minutes, then blend again for half a minute. If this doesn't make it smooth enough, then I blend it again for half a minute. 
  4. Make the spiced oil: Then, in the same skillet, heat the vegan butter or oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon stick, crushed fenugreek leaves, and mix in. If your sauce is not red enough for you, add in some more Kashmiri chilli powder here, and then carefully add your blended sauce back to the skillet and mix well. Bring the sauce to a boil for about 2 minutes, then taste the flavor of the sauce and adjust the salt, heat, and flavor. You can add in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, if you want the sauce slightly sweeter. Also adjust the consistency at this time, adding more water or non-dairy milk, if you want a thinner sauce. Continue to simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes, then fold in your crispy tofu. Just lightly toss, because you don’t want the coating to come off of the tofu. Let it simmer another 1 to 2 minutes, then switch off the heat and garnish with cilantro, lemon juice, green chili and pepper flakes. Crush the fenugreek leaves with your fingers, and sprinkle them all over the dish, as well. Serve with Naan or rice or quinoa. Best served with a side salad of cucumber onion tomato tossed in salt pepper and lemon juice!

Notes

  • For authentic flavor, smoke the butter chicken sauce using heated food-grade charcoal placed in the sauce covered with a lid; alternatively, use a cinnamon stick for a milder smoky effect.
  • This recipe is naturally gluten-free; substitute gluten-free ingredients as needed for soy-free or nut-free dietary needs.
  • To make nut-free, omit cashews and increase coconut milk or use hemp and pumpkin seeds as a substitute.
  • Press tofu well to remove excess moisture before marinating to achieve crispiness when cooking.

Nutrition Information

Calories 282kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 27g (9%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g (18%) Monounsaturated Fat 5g (25%) Trans Fat 0.02g (1%) Sodium 657mg (27%) Potassium 678mg (14%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 1015IU (20%) Vitamin C 13mg (14%) Calcium 114mg (11%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 282

% Daily Value*

Calories 282kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 27g 9%
Protein 12g 24%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 0.02g 1%
Sodium 657mg 27%
Potassium 678mg 14%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 1015IU 20%
Vitamin C 13mg 14%
Calcium 114mg 11%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.