You might also like these recipes for tofu makhani, tofu curry and tofu tikka masala. Butter chicken is a popular offering at Indian restaurants around the world. The mildly spiced orange sauce is alluring, especially to those who love Indian food but also find it too spicy at times. It used to be one of my favorite recipes before I became vegan, so creating an authentic-tasting vegan butter chicken recipe was a labor of love. I’ve already shared with you an Instant Pot vegan butter chicken that needs less hands-on time. But this stovetop recipe is almost as simple and just as delicious.
An authentic tasting vegan butter chicken
The story goes that cooks in north Indian dhabas, little roadside eateries catering to drivers on highways, created butter chicken (also called “murgh makhani”) as a way to use up leftover tandoori chicken that had gone a bit dry. With typical enterprise these cooks drowned the day-old grilled chicken in a flavorful sauce and voila! Although butter chicken evolved as a fast and loose dish for truckers, recreating this recipe in my kitchen required some thoughtfulness because I needed to substitute three non-vegan ingredients - chicken, cream and butter - which contribute to the flavor and texture of this dish. (Read more on veganizing Indian recipes here and why you shouldn’t use coconut milk in north Indian recipes like butter chicken). For the cream, I use a mix of cashews and pumpkin seeds, which add the same mouthfeel and creaminess as dairy cream. If you are nut-free, use only pumpkin seeds. Vegan butter is the perfect substitute for butter. The chicken substitute in this vegan butter chicken recipe is tofu. The tofu is marinated in spiced vegan yogurt and grilled before it is added to the sauce - a simple step that adds so much flavor to the tofu, which glugs in the sauce. This vegan butter chicken is very authentic-tasting and healthy with just 187 calories and 8 grams of protein in each serving. It is also a fantastic dish for low-carb eaters, with 10 grams of net carbs in a serving (see tips below for lowering carbs further). The recipe is already gluten-free and it can be easily tweaked to soy-free and nut-free diets.
Watch how to make vegan butter chicken
Variations for special diets
Keto/low-carb: The following modifications will bring down net carbs in this recipe to 6 grams, making it suitable for keto eaters: 1. Cut down to 1 tomato and add 2 tablespoon tomato paste instead with 1 additional cup of water. 2. Skip the maple syrup and use any keto-approved sweetener, like erythritol, monk fruit sweetener or stevia. 3. Skip the cashews entirely and use just ½ cup pumpkin seeds instead. Soy-free: Use soy-free tofu, like chickpea tofu, or add cauliflower florets or mushrooms instead of tofu. Coat them in the marinade and either grill them or bake them. Nut-free: Skip the cashews and use ½ cup pumpkin seeds for the sauce.
Store
Refrigerate: Vegan butter chicken can be refrigerated for up to four days. It tastes even better the next day, so it’s a great recipe to make ahead. Freeze: Make the sauce and freeze it in a freezer-safe container. Do not freeze the tofu cubes as this will change their texture. You can grill or bake the tofu up to three days before you plan to serve the vegan butter chicken and store it in the fridge until ready to use. Reheat: Add the grilled or baked tofu to the thawed sauce, mix, and reheat on the stovetop until warmed through.
More delicious Indian tofu recipes
Tandoori Tofu Vegan Chicken Curry Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu Tofu Paratha
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Rice is also amazing with vegan butter chicken, either plain basmati rice, or jeera rice. For a truly special occasion you can serve it with this pomegranate pilaf. On the side serve vegan cucumber raita or kachumber. And finally, if you really want to bring the flavors of Punjab into your home, serve a tall, cooling glass of vegan mango lassi with the vegan butter chicken!
