Vegan Butter Chicken

Recipe Prabha Shivananda for Edgar’s Mission //@edgarsmission
Photography Julie Renouf

Butter chicken. It’s one of those classic dishes we can’t resist. With this vegan version from Kindness Community Vegan Cookbook (Affirm Press, $35), it not only fills the belly but warms the heart using nothing but plant-based ingredients. “Butter chicken masala used to be a classic in our household, so when we turned vegan this was one of the first recipes I adapted,” says Prabha.

SERVES 4–6

INGREDIENTS 

‘Chicken’ masala

300 g firm tofu or high-protein mock chicken
1 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon yoghurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Curry

2 tablespoons cashews
½ teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons chilli powder (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons sugar
salt
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
rice or naan and dairy-free yoghurt, to serve

METHOD

1. Pat dry the tofu or mock chicken. Mix with the rest of the masala ingredients and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. For the curry, soak the cashews in ½ cup hot water for 10 minutes, then blend into a paste. Set aside.

3. Heat ½ teaspoon oil on medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add cumin seeds and onion, and stir until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and keep stirring to avoid sticking. When the tomatoes are soft, remove from heat and cool for a bit before blending till smooth. 

4. For the ‘chicken’ masala, lightly coat the inside of a saucepan in oil and fry the tofu or mock chicken pieces. Brown evenly on all sides and set aside.

5. In the same saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil and add the blended tomato mix. Add the ginger and garlic paste and mix for approximately 3 minutes. Keep stirring to avoid burning. 

6. Add the spices and mix until the oil separates. (The oil has separated when you can see small bubbles of oil forming as a layer on top and at the peripheries of the curry paste. This can take 5–10 minutes.) 

7. Add sugar and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the cashew paste and continue to stir, gently simmering until well combined. Gradually add a little water if the curry is too thick, or simmer longer if curry needs to thicken further. 

8. Once the curry is at the desired consistency, add the tofu or mock chicken. Cover and simmer on low heat for 5–10 minutes to allow the flavour to infuse the pieces. Keep stirring to avoid sticking and burning. Add salt to taste.

9. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander. Serve piping hot with rice or naan and dairy-free yoghurt on the side. 

This is edited an extract from Kindness Community Vegan Cookbook by Edgar’s Mission (Affirm Press, $35). Photography by Julie Renouf.

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