Vegan Butter Chicken

4.72 from 7 votes

Indulge in the creamy and flavorful goodness of our vegan butter chicken made from seitan. This plant-based version of the classic Indian dish is easy to make and will satisfy your cravings for comfort food. Serve with basmati rice or naan bread for a complete meal that everyone will love.

Prep Time12

Cook Time20

Marinade Time2

Total Time2 32

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: servings

Calories: 420kcal

Author: Adam Sobel

Cost: $14

Equipment

Ingredients

Seitan and marinade

2 ½ cups 300 grams of seitan torn into bite-sized pieces
½ cup unsweetened vegan yogurt
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, or paprika
¾ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil to cook marinated Seitan in.

For the vegan butter chicken sauce

¼ cup vegan butter
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 minced clove garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 ½ teaspoons chana masala
½ teaspoon asafetida
14 oz crushed tomatoes (400 g.)
½ cup water
1 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
Cilantro and mint leaves to garnish

Instructions

In a container, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, ground coriander, chili powder, and salt with a whisk. Stir in the pieces of seitan and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator if time allows.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add seitan pieces. Fry until lightly browned for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the seitan and set it aside. You can place it back into the container you marinated it in if you want to reduce the number of dishes you make a mess of.
In a frying pan over a high flame, melt the vegan butter. After about 60 seconds when the butter is hot and bubbling, add the onions and fry them, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes until translucent and lightly golden.
Add the garlic, ginger, and spices. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant
Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder water and salt. Lower the flame to medium and cook for 3 minutes until a deep brown-red color is reached.
Add the contents of the pan into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan and place it over medium heat. Stir in the coconut milk and sugar, and add the cooked seitan with any remaining marinade. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the sauce is thick and the seitan is thoroughly covered in it.
To serve the vegan butter chicken, ladle it over vegan biryani or steamed basmati rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro and mint leaves.

Notes

Get that initial browning just right: Getting that initial browning on the seitan is important, so don’t rush the frying of seitan after it has been marinated. Remember, this is emulating a dish that was originally made with cooled tandoori chicken. When something is cooked in a hot clay oven, it becomes firm on the outside. So we are looking to create a similar texture, just without harming any adorable, lovable chickens!

Nutrition