Vegan Butter "Chicken" with Baked Tofu
40 min
Meal
Servings
Total
40 minPrep
10 minCook
30 minContains
soy
tree nut
Free from
peanut
sesame
gluten
Ingredients
-
¼ cup (32 g)raw cashews, soaked for 1 hour or at least 2 hours or overnight
-
15.8 oz (450 g)extra firm tofu, pressed, cut into 1 cm cubes
-
½ cup (120 mL)unsweetened soy yogurt
-
1 tsp (3 g)ground cumin
-
1 tsp (2 g)ground coriander
-
½ tspground turmeric
-
1 pinchsalt
-
1 Tbsp (15 mL)vegetable oil
-
5cloves garlic, minced
-
1large onion, diced
-
1fresh jalapeño, seeded and minced
-
2 tsp (4 g)fresh ginger, grated
-
1½ Tbsp (9 g)ground coriander
-
1½ Tbsp (13 g)ground cumin
-
1 tsp (6 g)salt
-
¼ tspcayenne pepper
-
1⅔ cups (400 g)canned diced tomatoes
-
¼ cup (60 mL)canned tomato paste
-
1⅔ cups (399 mL)canned full-fat coconut milk
Serves well with
-
cooked rice
-
fresh cilantro
-
lemon slices
-
unsweetened soy yogurt
Make your own
Directions
- Soak the raw cashews in boiling water to soften. Set aside while chopping the vegetables.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- In a bowl, combine the tofu, yogurt, garam masala, cumin, coriander, and turmeric.
- Transfer the tofu onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake the tofu in the centre rack of the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, turning every few 5 - 10 minutes for even cooking, and to keep an eye on it to prevent burning.
- To a large pot on medium-high heat, sauté the oil, garlic, onion, jalapeño, and ginger until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add splashes of water as needed to deglaze the pan.
- Add in the garam masala, coriander, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring throughout to toast the spices.
- To the pot, add the drained cashews, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, agave syrup, and coconut milk. Blend everything using an immersion blender or transfer to a standing blender to blend until smooth. Let simmer on low, and cover with a lid. Once the tofu is golden, remove it from the oven and add it to the pot. Give it a gentle stir, and serve with rice, naan, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, some plant-based yogurt, and some lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Storage
- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Let us know what you think
Plate method
The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.
Grains 0%
Proteins 45%
• raw cashews
• extra firm tofu
• unsweetened soy yogurt
Fruits & Veggies 55%
• clove garlic
• large onion
• fresh jalapeño
• fresh ginger
• canned diced tomatoes
• canned tomato paste
Calcium
• extra firm tofu
• unsweetened soy yogurt
Fat
• raw cashews
• vegetable oil
• canned full-fat coconut milk
Nutrition info
We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.
Watch it step-by-step!
Discussion & Rating
Dear Sadia,
I'm sending many good wishes your way - so happy for your engagement!! Loved the super adorable video!!
Love this recipe. I am Asian Indian, and am so used to growing up with my mom using evaporated milk in our curries. I hate coconut, but I will tell you this recipe gave me a different perspective on coconut. LOVE LOVE LOVE this dish. I hate tofu and coconut and do not taste it in there. I ended up mashing up the tofu with all the spices and yogurt before putting it in the oven. I know it looked like baby food, but I got my nutrients from the tofu without having to bite into a cube of it. Super thankful for this recipe! :)
I have a nutritionist question for you Sadia - you always talk about including plant based yogurt for probiotics in smoothies & granola. However, this recipe calls for baking the yogurt - doesn't that kill the good bacteria in the yogurt - doesn't that defeat the purpose of probiotics? Would you mind kindly explaining this to me?
Much Gratitude,
Bindiya Ganatra
Mississippi, United States
So so good ! Very creamy and tasty :)) lots of love from Germany !! ☺
Love this recipe, I make this one for my family all the time! Thank you for sharing your craft!
I love this recipe. I often add cauliflower to make it a bit more healthy, it goes wonderful with the sauce
Such a winner! This recipe is delectable as is, and the sauce would also be delicious with any number of mix-ins besides the baked tofu. For example, vegan meatballs, chickpeas and broccoli, or uncooked tofu.
Thanks for this beautiful recipe ;)
Deliciouss! My first recipe from Pick up limes and definitely not the last one :)
This is absolutely delicious! I make this regularly but usually don't go through the process of baking the tofu as I like quick dinners.
So great to have a healthier version and most of all vegan! I added some of your garlic/mint yoghurt (from the wrap recipe) on top and it was devine. Definitely a go to recipe now. Thank you so much and lots of love from Germany :)
My go to recipe to impress non vegans! They always love it & ask for the recipe :)
We really LOVE this recipe and often serve it when we have guests. They always like it. We often add some broccoli to it, which tastes delicious.
My go-to butter "chicken" recipe! It's great with or without the baked tofu. I usually add some more veggies, but the flavors of this one never disappoint.
Every time I suggest ordering in Indian food my husband suggests that I make this recipe instead! It’s so good! I make a big batch of the sauce and use it with tofu one night and chickpeas another. Pick Up Limes never disappoints!
This is hands down one of the best things I've ever tasted (if not the best!!). It is creamy, filling, and an overall incredible recipe. Me and my boyfriend have been making a batch every two weeks, it keeps well in the fridge and tastes even better the day after. I recommend adding lemon juice before serving, it is a game-changer. I have also tried subbing the tofu for canned chickpeas and it is still delicious (and saves me a ton of time). If you can I strongly recommend trying this, you won't regret it!
This required some patience to make (I'm pretty slow at food prepping esp. with the tofu) but it's always so, so worth it. I love how it all marinates over time, so bulk cooking results in a meal that just becomes tastier as it sits in the fridge. It tastes so rich and satisfying while somehow being healthy. Thanks heaps!
Absolutely my favorite butter chicken recipe, hands down! It tastes insanely good and my boyfriend cannot stop asking me for it again and again. One of my favorite meals since I started cooking it.
So delicious! My favorite curry recipe!
I have made this a couple of times now and it has become one of my absolute favourite dishes; it’s just so delicious and comforting. Thank you for this great recipe.
This is a favorite. Even my omnivore Family who is skeptical about spices (other than salt and pepper) loves this one! I definitely recommend making it with the naan if you have the time.
This is one of my favourite ‘party’ recipes. It comes together so easily and it’s such a crowd pleaser!! You won’t be able to resist seconds with this one :)
Hands down the best vegan curry I have ever had. 1000 points to Sadia!
This recipe is a staple alongside the homemade Naan!!! I have made and shared this recipe countless times as a way to show just how flavourful a plant-based recipe can be!! Quick tip, if you have an air fryer, bake the tofu in it, the air circulates better and the tofu texture gets awesome (at least for our taste :))
I made it a couple times and I love it with my whole heart. Just saw that you can add cashews to make it extra creamy, can't wait to try again
Let's just say: yummy yummy yummy. This recipe is now a classic in winter!
In the video you say firm tofu and in the recipe extra firm tofu, which is best? And can the tofu also be baked in the pan instead of the oven? Will make this dish soon! :)
The first Pick Up Limes recipe I've tried. It was yummy and I would make it again. I used coconut milk since I was missing yogurt. Also, I left it unblended, because I didn't have an immersion blender handy (and too lazy to use a regular one). Served over rice.
Amazing recipe! Thank you so much 😊
I wonder - is this my top PUL recipe? :D It might be... I can't describe how delicious it is and I'd need more stars to truly rate it! Well done!
Hi PUL Team! I have a vegan butter made with the following ingredients: coconut oil, cashews, sunflower oil, quinoa rejuvelac (water, quinoa), water, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, nutritional yeast, chickpea miso (rice, chickpeas, sea salt, water, koji spores), Fermented oregano extract (water, oregano, raw cane sugar, active cultures). Can it be substituted for the homemade butter in the recipe? If not, will roasted cashews work well in this recipe since that is what I have on hand? Thank you!
So often when I ask my family what they want for supper it’s this recipe! I use a vegan “chicken” instead of the tofu for speed. Truly. it’s a crowd pleaser. Amazing 🤩
Thank you so much for the recipe! It was perfect! I did not have any cashews at home so I just thickened the sauce with a little bit of starch which worked perfectly. Overall, everything was just delicious!
This recipe is delicious. I have made it several times for my husband and me. Thank you for inspiring us to eat more plant-based.
It sounds like a lot of spices, but it all works SO WELL! If anyone is concerned about the spice, just reduce the cayenne (I halved it).
The second time I made this, I added some oil to the tofu so it would stick to the pan less. I also added some leftover cauliflower (1/4 a head) to the tofu mixture, and that worked great.
Highly recommend this!
I'm not familiar with Indian cuisine and I hadn't tried the "original" butter chicken before going plant-based, but this recipe was absolutely delicious and rather quick to make, I will definitely make it more often! Also love the new scale feature, makes cooking even quicker and easier when you're a student only cooking for yourself ;-)
I made this recipe for my boyfriend and our two children of 6 and 9 years old and they loved it. They are very picky eters and love meat (unfortunately - but on our way to become vegetarian) but they thought this dish was perfect. My boyfriend said he want to eat this every two weeks now.
I didn't notice beforehand that the cashews had to be soaked for at least one hour, I did only soak them for 20min. but it still came out very well.
Overall, very nice dish if you can find garam masala. I didn't have garam masala, so I made my own from scratch. I didn't have enough cumin, so my garam masala ended up being a bit too intense from other spices. So my suggestion - if you are mixing spices yourself, taste the dish as you add them. Lemon is listed as one of the serving suggestions, but I would highly recommend adding it. Without it the sauce part was lacking some acidity (at least for my taste buds). I didn't add any sweetener and I don't think the dish was missing it. To boost up the veggie content I also added some lightly sauteed broccoli and whole, toasted cashews - tasted great! Another important detail - you must use full-fat coconut milk. If you use reduced fat (like I did - I suffer from heartburn), the sauce will be a bit too runny.