Loaded Vegan Butter Chicken

Whoever said you can't have Vegan Butter Chicken has clearly never had this one. The creamy curry sauce is every bit as good as regular butter chicken sauce, and it's loaded with tofu and veggies for an easy to make and healthy meal. Serve with steamed basmati rice or some cauliflower rice.

It's all about the sauce. There, I said it. We don't need to pretend anymore. I mean really, who eats butter chicken for the chicken? Answer: Nobody.

When I was a vegetarian, I used to order butter chicken at restaurants and sop up all the sauce around the chicken with a piece of naan. I could never understand why they always had to add chicken to it. Seemed like such a waste. Now when I order it I eat the chicken, but only begrudgingly. It's so not the part I like.

This vegan butter chicken is made using a traditional butter chicken sauce and swapping out the cream for coconut milk. And, of course, there's none of the chicken that nobody wants to eat anyway.

When I make this recipe, I like to use soft tofu as it has a similar texture to the Indian cheese, paneer. I've tried it before with medium and firm tofu, but I find they're both too chicken-y in texture for my taste. (Is that even a word?)

Load up your vegan butter chicken sauce …

Even though we've already admitted that the sauce is everything, I've put lots of peas and corn in this curry. I know we both love our veggies, too.

You can definitely swap the peas and corn for other veggies. This recipe is really flexible that way. Use your favs or whatever you have on hand.

Cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, or even some kale would all be delicious.

Use your favorites and you'll love it!

Now go and make yourself some vegan butter chicken!

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HEALTHY VEGAN CURRY RECIPES:

• Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry
• Black Chana Masala
• Crock Pot Coconut Lentil Curry
• Coconut Black Lentil Curry
• Chickpea Tofu and Eggplant Curry
• Coconut Acorn Squash Curry
• Creamy Coconut Vegetarian Korma

Loaded Vegan Butter Chicken

• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 generous servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Indian

★★★★★

4.2 from 5 reviews

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Description

Whoever said you can't have Vegan Butter Chicken has clearly never had this one. The creamy curry sauce is every bit as good as regular butter chicken sauce, and it's loaded with tofu and veggies for an easy to make and healthy meal.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or another flavored oil)
• 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped ginger
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon coriander, ground or seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground or seeds
• ¼ to 1 teaspoon chili powder (depending on how spicy you like things)
• Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
• 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 2–4 tablespoons coconut sugar, to taste (can sub maple syrup or brown sugar)
• Sea salt, to taste (I like about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 package soft tofu, cut into squares

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Instructions

1. Add the avocado oil to a medium-sized sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are quite brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
2. Add the garam masala, turmeric, coriander, cumin, chili powder and cardamom seeds to the pan and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and ½ cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any brown bits. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Pour the sauce into your blender and blend on high until smooth. Be careful as the steam from the hot liquid can push your blender lid off. Return the sauce to the pan and stir in the almond butter, coconut milk, and coconut sugar. Taste and salt as needed.
4. Add the frozen peas, corn, and tofu to the pot and stir gently. Let them heat through then serve immediately.

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Notes

Pair with steamed basmati rice or cauliflower rice