Recipe: Vegan Butter Chikkin

Dr. Matthew NagraArticles, Recipes

Recipe: Vegan Butter Chikkin

Growing up with both my mom’s and grandmother’s cooking, I was spoiled with the tastiest Indian food on the planet! Since going plant-based nearly 9 years ago, one thing I haven’t been able to replicate is my mom’s butter chicken. Fortunately, she spent some time testing out alternatives (my dad and I were happy to taste test, of course), and she absolutely NAILED IT! This recipe tastes identical to what I remember having all those years ago and has been a hit with everyone who’s tried it! My mom is happy to finally share her recipe with you, so I hope you enjoy!

Prep time: 45-60 minutes

Serves 8

*Vegan

*Oil Free

*Gluten Free

What You’ll Need

Pot

Frying Pan

Blender (ideally a high-powered blender)

Ingredients

1 cup of raw cashews (soaked for at least 4 hours)

1  can (796 mL) crushed tomatoes

1  can (369 mL) tomato paste

1600 mL water (fill the empty crushed tomatoes can with water twice)

2 cups original, unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves (also known as ‘methi’)

1 teaspoon coconut sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garam masala

¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 block of extra firm tofu

3 tablespoons tandoori masala

2 tablespoons veggie broth (salt-free)

Instructions

  1. Put the can of crushed tomatoes in a pot, add tomato paste and water.
  2. Add fenugreek, sugar, salt, garam masala and cayenne pepper.
  3. Boil for 20 minutes on high heat. The sauce will thicken.
  4. Add 1 cup of almond milk to the cashews and blend.
  5. Add this to the sauce and boil for another 10 minutes.
  6. Add the other 1 cup of almond milk and boil for 5 more minutes. Put aside.
  7. Cut the tofu into cubes and brown in a pan for 10 mins.
  8. Add 2 tablespoons of veggie broth and cover the cubes with tandoori masala. Brown for 5 minutes.
  9. Add the tofu to the sauce.
  10. Enjoy over basmati rice.

Basmati Rice Ingredients

2 cups of basmati rice

4 cups of water

1 onion (chopped lengthwise)

1 tablespoon of black pepper

Instructions:

Add to a pot:

  • Washed rice
  • Water
  • Onion
  • Pepper

Cover it with a lid. Cook on medium head for 20 mins or until the water dries up.

ENJOY!