Vegan Butter "Chicken" with Baked Tofu
40 min
Meal
Servings
Total
40 minPrep
15 minCook
25 minContains
soy
tree nut
Swap out
gluten
Free from
peanut
sesame
Ingredients
Tofu
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16 oz (450 g)firm tofu, pressed, cut into 1 cm cubes
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½ cup (120 mL)unsweetened soy yogurt
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1 tsp (2 g)ground cumin
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1 tsp (2 g)ground coriander
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½ tspground turmeric
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1 pinchsalt
Sauce
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¼ cup (32 g)raw cashews
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1 Tbsp (15 mL)vegetable oil
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5cloves garlic, minced
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1large onion, chopped
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1jalapeño, seeds removed, minced
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2 tsp (4 g)freshly grated ginger
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1½ Tbsp (8 g)ground coriander
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1½ Tbsp (9 g)ground cumin
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1 tsp (6 g)salt
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¼ tspcayenne pepper
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1⅔ cups (400 g)canned diced tomatoes
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¼ cup (66 g)tomato paste
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1⅔ cups (399 mL)canned full-fat coconut milk
Serves well with
Make your own
Directions
- Soak the raw cashews in boiling water to soften. Set aside for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- In a bowl, combine the tofu, yogurt, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and salt.
- Transfer the tofu to a lined baking tray and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning.
- To a large pot on medium-high heat, sauté the oil, garlic, onion, jalapeño, and ginger for 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 more minute, stirring throughout to toast the spices.
- Then 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.
- Serve with naan or rice. 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 & Starches 41%
• vegan naan
Proteins 26%
• firm tofu
• unsweetened soy yogurt
• raw cashews
Fruits & Veggies 33%
• clove garlic
• large onion
• jalapeño
• freshly grated ginger
• canned diced tomatoes
• tomato paste
Calcium
• 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
Thank you so much for this recipe Sadia. It's my mom's absolute favourite. Whenever I come home for a visit she asks me to make this meal for her. Usually she's not that fond of spicy foods but in this dish it is so well balanced and just feels warming. Last time I added some leftover fried zucchini and carrots to the sauce after blending which was also really good.
P.s I really enjoy watching your inspiring videos! They are always so calming.
Lots of love from Germany!
Hi! This is one of our family’s favourite dishes. Prepared it many times. Go to soul food for myself. Absolutely love it!
Any substitute for coconut milk I have some in the carton but not in the can, can I use cashew cream?
Made this tonight for my Irish family who does not like spices. Left out the jalapeno - because I couldn't find it at the smart food mart where we are staying. They polished off the entire dish in one sitting. I think it was a hit!!!! Yesterday I did another one of your recipes - mushroom and chickpea coconut curry - another huge hit!!
Thank you, Sadia! My student teacher turned me on to your website and I have made several of your dishes!
Made this for a weeknight dinner! I think it took me 30-45 minutes? I didn't have yogurt for the tofu, so just used a bit of olive oil. Also didn't have cashews, so used 2 tablespoons of ground almonds instead. The garam masala is the dominant spice here, but the acidity from the tomatoes mellows it out. Must do the fresh cilantro!
Absolutely loved this! Was a little skeptical about the quantity of spices but it was so unbelievably delicious, reminded me very much of the butter chicken my parents and I used to eat back home.
Dear PUL-Team,
one of my all time favorites! So flavourful.
Did you alter the recipe though? I think I used a whole can of coconut milk when I made it the last time.
Greetings from Germany!
Sauce is absolutely boss. I see myself cooking this at least once a week. ❤️❤️
But because the sauce is so full of flavour marinating the tofu didn't add to the dish. In my opinion frying the tofu will do.
What a lovely recipe. Made it for dinner ann the 15 people at my dorm is now forcing me to make it in two days for a common dinner. Really enjoyed it. Ps. Love your videos they are so cute to watch and really inspires me to take the time to make my dinners.
I love this recipe! the sauce is absolutely delicious and the coconut milk adds an amazing creamy texture. Took a little longer because I don't own an immersion blender so I had to wait for the sauce to cool before transferring it to blender, but it was worth the wait! I've just made a double batch of the sauce to pop in the freezer for an easy mid-week dinner :)
I love this recipe! I've made a few tweaks but overall, I love the flavour, especially the sauce. Tastes just like I remember traditional butter chicken. Thank you so much.
I love this recipe. My non-vegan husband always cooks it for us. Instead of tofu we use baked seitan. We love it.
We've cooked this recipe plenty of times already! It is incredibly tasty and creamy, still we feel nourished after.
The only difference we make is that we don't bake the tofu prior - because we are lazy.. :D We just put it in the sauce to warm up and thats it.
Can't wait to cook it again :)
Wow - this one is so delicious. My favorite cuisine is Indian and I love adding new Indian inspired recipes to my repertoire. Thank you!!
It was absolutely delicious! I served it with rice, naan and steamed broccoli on the side and it was a feast! :)
I love Indian take-out, and almost always ordered butter chicken, even though I try to be vegan/vegetarian most of the time. I knew I had to try this recipe and see if it holds up. And it does!
I used tempeh for the first time for this recipe, and it was delicious. I will certainly do it again, but I will say I made a bit of a mess by using an immersion blender, like Sadia did in the video. But not to worry, I will just use a stand mixer the next time. I’m going to be eating the left overs from yesterday tonight and with it I will try the recipe for the Naan, which Im sure will blow me away as well 🤤
I was skeptical about this recipe but boy was I blown away by it! It is such an amazing recipe and we have made it a couple times now with a vegan saag recipe. Thank you for making a simple, delicious version of this classic Indian dish!!! :)
This is such a lovely recipe, thank you PUL team for sharing it with us all! I highly recommend everyone to try it with the herb & garlic Naan - the pairing is absolutely divine:)
Beautiful recipe. I make this over and over again. So easy. So delicious.
I absolutely love this recipe! It is so delicious and flavourful and not hard to prepare. I have made it for so many friends and family and people are always asking me to send them the recipe afterwards. Sometimes, I add roast cauliflower instead of tofu and it is also delicious!!!
My husband and I enjoy ordering Indian takeout, but we aren't a fan of the cost. He loves Butter Chicken specifically, so when I showed him this recipe he was really excited to give it a try. We both absolutely loved how this turned out! With this and the Herb & Garlic Naan recipe, we basically don't need to order takeout to satisfy our cravings for Indian food. Loved this with the tofu, and in the future we plan to try it with mock chicken as it is easy for us to get and pretty affordable. Thank you so much from the both of us for this recipe! We're blown away!
This was SO delicious. Definitely putting this into a semi regular rotation.
I have been watching your cooking videos for some time now and finally tried out this recipe and my husband and I loved it. The recipe was so easy to make and the flavour is absolutely delicious. I am now super excited to try out more of your vegan recipes. They all look so yummy and doable. I like that you give ingredient substitution ideas as sometimes ingredients are hard to find here. Please keep the recipes coming and I love your inspirational videos that show how easy the recipes are to make.
I looove this dish, I find it a little more difficult to make than other recipes of PUL that I've tried, maybe because you have to use more kitchen appliances, but it's absolutely worth it!! So yummy and creamy!!
This was so good, I'm definitely making this again! We also boiled some cauliflower florets and threw those in an the end. My flatmates loved it as well, thank you so much for the recipe :)
I've never made Butter Chicken at home but have always enjoyed it when eating out. This was delicious and simple. My whole family enjoyed it. I think next time I'll blend the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, cashews and coconut milk before I add them to the pot. My emersion blender didn't get all of the cashews.
I love this recipe, third time I'm making this curry. Just a quick question: if I let it simmer for a few hours as you suggest in the video when do I add the tofu ?
This has been my go to curry for a while (though I usually use lentils for allergen reasons), it is super yummy and even when making for non vegans they also enjoy it. Well worth making :)
Hi Sadia and crew,
Thanks so much for all your efforts! I really enjoy watching your videos (they’re so beautiful and chill) and trying new recipes (never came across one that dissapointed). So inspiring and fun!
This recipe looks amazing as well. I was wondering whether you could replace the cashews with something (my husband is intolerant to all kinds of nuts), maybe tahini?
Oh, and congratulations on your engagement!! That video was pure, pure love and fun, I loved it.
Dank je wel alvast!!
Lieve groetjes,
Regina
This recipe looks divine! I will be adding it as one of our meals for next week. Thank you for your wonderful recipes, we have enjoyed every single one that we have made :)
Lots of love from Calgary, Canada (your neighbour of sorts!).
PS: Congratulations on your engagement! Your video was so sweet!
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.