Butter Chicken Or Tofu Recipes

VEGAN BUTTER "CHICKEN" WITH TOFU (GLUTEN FREE)

Steps:

• Press tofu for a minimum 30 minutes.
• Break up the tofu into nugget size pieces
• Marinate the tofu with olive oil, cornstarch, garam masala, curry powder, salt, and pepper for 15 minutes.
• While the tofu is marinating, take cashews and almond milk, and puree until creamy and smooth. You can also use a blender here as well.
• Once the tofu is done marinating, fry the tofu on a pan over medium high heat until crispy. About 10 minutes.
• Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.
• In a pan over medium heat, add the ginger, garlic, and onion. Sautee until soft and fragrant. The onions should be almost transparent. About 5 minutes.
• Next, add vegan butter, tomato puree, maple syrup, garam masala, curry powder, and cinnamon, as well as the cashew cream. Mix until combined. Cook for 3 more minutes. This should form a light yellow-orange sauce.
• Lastly, add the tofu back in to combine the sauce and the "nuggets". Cook for about 2 minutes.
• Serve with jasmine rice and garnish with cilantro

VEGAN BUTTER CHICKEN-STYLE CURRY WITH TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap the tofu block with absorbent paper and place it between two chopping boards, adding a few books on top of the top board to add pressure. Set aside 30 minutes to release all the tofu moisture.
• Cut the tofu block into thin slices (about 0.4 inches/0.1cm). Then pull apart the tofu slices to create irregular pieces of tofu - this mimics chicken texture the best! but you can also simply cube the tofu slices if preferred.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients: olive oil, cornstarch, garlic powder, masala, turmeric, and salt.
• Add the tofu chunks into the marinade and combine with a spoon.
• Lay the tofu pieces onto the prepared baking sheet into a single layer, and make sure the tofu pieces don't touch each other or overlap.
• Bake on the center rack for 20-30 minutes, flipping them halfway. Meanwhile, prepare the curry sauce
• Heat a large skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, butter, and chopped onions. Stir and cook until fragrant and soft, about 2 minutes.
• Add all the spices: ginger, garam masala, fenugreek, cumin, salt, crushed garlic, and tomato paste. Stir and cook for 30 seconds until it forms a paste.
• Stir in canned coconut cream, stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the baked tofu pieces, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
• Serve with jasmine rice, vegan naan bread, or cauliflower rice for a low-carb version.

VEGETARIAN BUTTER CHICKEN (TOFU OR PANEER MAKHANI)

Steps:

• If you're using tofu that came packed in water, you'll first need to press the tofu. This will take around 30 minutes - so plan for this time ahead.
• Cut the tofu into cubes around 1-inch in size. Pat the pieces dry and then toss them in cornstarch (you can do this in a bowl or place everything in a bag and shake). And brush with a bit of oil.
• To Air Fry: Air fry for 10-15 minutes at 400ºF/200ºC until browned and a little bit crispy (it doesn't need to be too crispy).To Oven Bake: Place the tofu pieces of a parchment-lined tray and bake in the oven for 20-30 at 400ºF/200ºC - until golden brown.The tofu will become golden brown and slightly crispy (more so using the Air fryer method- but this isn't needed for the recipe). It won't taste of anything but will soak up the flavors from the Makhani sauce.
• This can be done while the tofu cooks.
• Chop the onion and mince the garlic, ginger, and chili (optional).
• Heat up the ghee (or vegan butter) in a large pan and sauté the onion for 1-2 minutes. Then add the chili, garlic, and ginger and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste, garam masala, and paprika (optional) and cook for a further two minutes.There are two ways to introduce the fresh tomatoes to this makhani sauce. First, you could add them in with the tomato paste and cook for a silkier texture. Alternatively, you can add them raw to the food processor in the next step. The flavor and texture will vary based on which you choose - so feel free to experiment.
• Add the sautéed mixture, tomatoes (if they weren't cooked), and the salted water (or vegetable stock) to a food processor and blend into a runny paste.
• Transfer that back to the pan - it's now time to reduce and thicken it. At the same time, add your tofu to the pan too.
• Simmer the tofu butter chicken sauce on medium-low heat for around 20 minutes. Then, optionally, add the coconut milk and simmer for a further 10 minutes or less if you want a slightly thinner sauce.
• Give the tofu makhani sauce a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary (since I use stock, I don't add extra salt. You may want to, though). The vegetarian or vegan butter chicken is ready - time to serve!
• Fridge: Any leftover vegan/ vegetarian butter chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for between 3-4 days. Freezer: Allow it to cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe container/s and freezing for up to two months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheat: You can reheat the dish either on the stovetop of medium-low heat or in the microwave.

BUTTER CHICKEN OR TOFU

Steps:

• marinade chicken or tofu.
• In a baking dish place chicken or tofu pieces pour lemon juice on top. Add.
• a pinch of salt mix and leave aside for 15 minutes
• whisk together yogurt 1 tsbp of the garam marsala, food colouring, 1 tsp of the garlic 1 tbsp of the ginger.
• Add to the baking dish. mix and coat pieces.
• Refrigerate for 8 hours.
• Baking instructions.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• mix the remaining spices in a pot and cook on low heat with a bit of the butter add the remaining garlic and ginger cook for about a minute sautee.
• add tomato and onion cook for about 10 mins on meduim heat
• turn off heat.
• add cream and butter
• now pour mixture over chicken in baking dish mix until pieces are all coated.
• cover the dish and bake untill meat is done about 20 minutes. stir in fress cilantro and serve.

TOFU MAKHANI (INDIAN BUTTER TOFU)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, cumin and 1 heaping tablespoon turmeric with 1 tablespoon water to make a thin paste. Drain and pat the tofu dry then cut it into 1-inch cubes. Add it to the turmeric marinade, gently stirring to coat. Set aside at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
• In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and chile powder, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat, add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and their juices, gently crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you go. Add the cinnamon stick, paprika and sea salt along with the remaining 1 teaspoon turmeric. Cook until the tomatoes and onions break down and the sauce is the consistency of a thick ragù, about 10 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Return to the pot.
• Gently stir in the cream and the tofu and its marinade. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, until the tofu has taken on the color of the sauce and is flavored all the way through, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally but gently, so the tofu doesn't fall apart. Transfer the tofu and sauce to a deep platter or large shallow serving bowl and sprinkle with scallions and cilantro. Serve with warm naan, rice, yogurt and cucumbers.