Are you ready to try something exciting and delicious in the kitchen? Our vegan butter chicken recipe uses tofu. It is perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy the tasty flavours of Indian food. They can do so without using animal products. This recipe is super flexible, so you can change it up to match what you like or what you have in the kitchen.
You can use various kinds of tofu. You can also try other plant-based proteins, such as fake meat or seitan. They can help you make this dish just how you like it. Also, you can swap out ingredients. The amount of tofu you use is adjustable as the sauce will cover 300 grams to 500 grams without issue.
This recipe can be made with or without butter, depending on your caloric goals. The cashew cream can be switched to coconut cream or a barista plant milk and some starch to thicken. Vegetable stock can be switched to vegan chicken stock. You can also use plant milk to make the sauce creamy and delicious. And if you don’t have vegetable stock, you can use vegan chicken stock to add more flavour.
Turmeric and pepper are a great team in cooking. They make food tasty and healthy. Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that gives colour and a mild flavour to food. It has a special ingredient called curcumin, which can help keep your body healthy. But curcumin is not easily absorbed by the body on its own.
That’s where pepper comes in! Pepper contains piperine. It helps our bodies absorb curcumin up to 2000% better. So, when you use turmeric and pepper together, you get more health benefits from the turmeric. This makes your meal both tasty and healthy!
Indian cooking is very vegan-friendly. There is no reason for you to miss your old favourites. The best thing about this butter chicken with tofu recipe is that it is flexible and forgiving. There are many things that you can swap in to make the recipe vegan. I used silken tofu for this batch; I needed to use it before it expired. However, be aware that silken tofu tends to fall apart while cooking. It is not the most visually appealing of choices, but I sometimes enjoy the softer texture. If you prefer firmer tofu, use it.
This dish is all about making cooking fun and letting you experiment with flavours. You may already be vegan or just want to try some plant-based meals. This Butter Chicken recipe will become a favourite. Join us as we show how easy and tasty vegan cooking can be, and feel free to share your own cooking adventures with us!
As always, there are no rules; please make this recipe your own. If you think you’ve got a better version, please let me know, as I am always looking to up my spice game.
Ingredients for butter chicken with tofu
Serves 4
Ingredients for the red sauce
¼ cup of water
1tsp vegan butter (optional)
1tsp garlic powder
1 tsp of onion flakes
½ tsp of paprika
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp of ginger
½ tsp dried coriander leaves
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp vegetable stock
Cayenne pepper to taste (some like it hot, some do not; the cream will have a cooling effect)
Black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1 tbsp of tomato paste
1 cup of passata sauce
Ingredients for the ‘cream’
100 ml of barista oat milk
½ cup of soaked cashews
1 dried pitted date
Meat replacer
300 - 500 gram block of tofu
Instructions
Soak the cashews in water for about an hour (you can skip this if you have a good blender)
Drain the cashews. Add the barista milk to your blender along with the pitted date and cashews.
Blend until smooth and set aside.
In a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat, put butter, herbs, spices, salt and pepper in the water. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes.
Add the tomato paste and pastata. Stir and continue to simmer to allow the flavour to develop.
Open the tofu package and drain. Pat dry it with a clean tea towel (if you can be bothered). Cut it into cubes of your size choice, and add it to the red sauce. Give the tofu time to heat with a gentle stir every minute.
After about 3 minutes, add the cream you set aside earlier. Allow the cream to heat for about 30 seconds, then turn the heat down and allow the residual heat to permeate throughout the meal.
Serve and enjoy!
Click for a silken tofu basil sauce recipe.
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