Indian · medium · 45 min · serves 4
How to make butter chicken vegan
Short answer
Replace chicken, butter, cream, yogurt marinade with pressed tofu or soy chunks, vegan block butter or coconut oil, cashew cream, soy yogurt. The method is unchanged and takes about 45 minutes for 4 servings.
What makes the classic version non-vegan
- Chicken
- Butter
- Cream
- Yogurt marinade
Swap table
| Instead of | Use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Pressed tofu or soy chunks | Marinate at least an hour |
| Butter | Vegan block butter or coconut oil | Bloom the spices in it |
| Cream | Cashew cream | Won't split when simmered |
| Yogurt | Soy yogurt | Highest protein, best tang |
Method
- 1Marinate tofu or soy chunks in soy yogurt, ginger, garlic, garam masala and chilli.
- 2Roast or pan-char the marinated pieces until blistered at the edges.
- 3Bloom whole spices in vegan butter, add onion, ginger, garlic and tomato purée; cook until dark.
- 4Blend the sauce smooth, return to the pan with cashew cream and kasuri methi.
- 5Fold in the charred pieces and simmer 10 minutes.
The one thing people get wrong
Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaf) crushed in at the end is the single ingredient that makes it taste like a restaurant.
Frequently asked questions
- Can butter chicken be made vegan?
- Yes. Replace chicken, butter, cream, yogurt marinade with pressed tofu or soy chunks, vegan block butter or coconut oil, cashew cream, soy yogurt. The method stays essentially the same and takes about 45 minutes.
- What is the hardest part of veganizing butter chicken?
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaf) crushed in at the end is the single ingredient that makes it taste like a restaurant.
- How long does vegan butter chicken take?
- About 45 minutes for 4 servings — a medium recipe.
Convert any recipe automatically
Paste a recipe or URL into VeggieOS and get a vegan version with swaps, ratios and a shopping list — 100% free, no paid plans.
Try VeggieOS free — no paid plans