⚠️ Untested Recipe: This recipe hasn’t been tested yet. Measurements and instructions may need adjustment.

Vegan take on Indian Butter Chicken with spiced tomato sauce and creamy cashew cream. Perfect with naan.

Ingredients

Main Curry

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 7 garlic cloves, minced
  • thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 3 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp salt (more to taste)
  • 4 tsp curry powder
  • 4 tsp garam masala
  • 3 tsp sweet smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée (15 ml)
  • 2 × 400 g cans chopped tomatoes (800 g / 14 oz each)
  • 35 g nutritional yeast (1¼ oz)
  • 960 g chickpeas (2 lb 2 oz), from cans or jars
  • olive oil
  • salt and black pepper

For the Cashew Cream

  • 290 g silken tofu (10¼ oz)
  • juice of 1 large lemon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 80 g cashews (3 oz / ½ cup), soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes, then drained
  • 50-80 ml water (2-2½ fl oz / 3½-5 tbsp), to loosen

To Serve

  • fresh herbs
  • chilli flakes
  • high-protein naan, rice, or toasted sourdough

Instructions

  1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or shallow casserole on medium heat, fry the onion in olive oil with a pinch of salt for about 8 minutes until caramelising. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another 2-4 minutes until the raw aroma has subsided.
  2. Add the spices (you may need more oil), bay leaves and cook until fragrant before adding the tomato purée and chopped tomatoes. Fill the can halfway with water and add this, too. Season to taste.
  3. Bubble on medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat, allow to cool and stir in the nutritional yeast.
  4. Remove the bay leaves, transfer to a bullet or food processor and blitz to a paste.
  5. Add all the cashew cream ingredients to a bullet blender and blitz until you have a smooth consistency. Season to taste.
  6. Return the blitzed tomato sauce to the pan, add half of the cashew cream and all of the chickpeas and stir through. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and season to taste.
  7. Garnish with some of the remaining cashew cream, fresh herbs, chilli flakes and seeds, if you like. Enjoy with naan, rice or toasted sourdough bread.

Notes

Protein boost: Add some smoked tofu (torn into small pieces) in with the chickpeas to bump up the protein content.

Serving suggestion: The recipe recommends serving with homemade protein naan (see page 206 in original source).

Nutrition: Protein per serving: 25g, Fiber: 20g, Plant diversity score: 10

Source: Sophie Waplington, Soph’s Plant Kitchen