There isn’t a day that goes by where I am not craving Indian food. From rich curries, buttery naan, and of course the infamous butter chicken dish. It is incredibly creamy and so flavorful from the delicious spices of garam masala.
Of course, I had to make it vegan so that is where the tofu comes in. Tofu acts as a sponge and it does an amazing job at absorbing all the flavors of the tomato-based sauce and cashew cream.
Almost every Indian dish can be made vegan which is a dream for lovers of that cuisine like me.
Garam Masala is the staple spice in this recipe that gives it a great depth of flavor. You can, of course, get the blend from the grocery store, but I love making my own spice blends at home. I use this recipe for Garam Masala. Using whole spices brings out even more flavor to the dish and is worth the extra grinding.
This recipe is…
- Creamy & so flavorful
- Healthy & 100% vegan
- Easy & simple
- Takes 30-minutes or less
Vegan Butter “Chicken” with Tofu
By: Taavi Moore Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 diced white onion
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- Salt to taste
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup soaked raw cashews
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 pkg of tofu, diced into cubes
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Fresh cilantro
- Unsweetened non-dairy yogurt
Directions
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add a tsp of oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onion to the pan with a pinch of salt. Sweat it for 2-3 min. or until translucent and fragrant. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the spices and another pinch of salt. Cook for 1 minute to toast the spices.
- Pour in the canned tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes before adding the cashew cream.
- While sauce is simmering, in a high-speed blender blend the cashews, almond milk, and coconut oil until creamy. Pour cashew cream into the tomato sauce. Then carefully stir in the cubed tofu. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes. Season with more salt if needed.
- Serve butter “chicken” over brown rice. Garnish with a bit of fresh cilantro and drizzle of yogurt. Enjoy!
