Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken with Soycurls and Chickpeas. 15 minute Active time! 1 Pot Creamy Indian Butter Soy Curls, Vegan Murgh Makhani. Use all chickpeas for soy-free. Vegetarian Gluten-free Recipe. Oil-free Nut-free option. Skillet option Jump to Recipe
Its no Butter No Chicken you all. Then why call it that? Well search! Most people search for vegan butter chicken for some reason and not vegan soycurls in no butter butter sauce or other variations ;). So here goes.
This recipe adapted from my popular Butter Tofu recipe. To make a skillet version, use the butter tofu recipe with soy curls. Just simmer the soy curls in the sauce with a up of water for 15 minutes. I use a combination of soy curls and chickpeas in this version and don’t use any oil. You can add some oil or vegan butter with the cashew cream to make it even more like restaurant flavor profile. Don’t have soy curls ? use all chickpeas, beans or veggies.
Its a super simple recipe. Blend up the tomato, garlic, ginger, chile. Add to the IP along with spices, soy curls and chickpeas, close and cook. Add some cashew cream and simmer for a few minutes to thicken, garnish and done! The garnish of fresh minced ginger and chile and some dried fenugreek takes this dish to an amazing flavor level. Make it!
Soy curls are a meat sub made with whole non gmo soy beans. You can find them in some stores or online on amazon. You can also use other bean curls! Look for “Wadi” in Indian stores made of moong dal, black eyed peas and other lentils/beans. The texture is different but they work equally well. You can also use seitan, tvp, soy chunks, beyond meat strips other chickin subs.
More IP recipes.
- Lentil Veggie Dhansak – Lentil Veggie Stew in IP. GF
- Kohlapuri Veggies – Veggies in sesame coconut sauce GF
- Mushroom Matar Masala GF
- Bombay Potato and Peas GF
- Aloo Palak Dal- Potato Spinach Lentils in IP. GF
- Eggplant Sambhar – Eggplant Split pea soup
- Aloo Gobi – Spiced potato and cauliflower
This recipe is adapted from my Butter Tofu “Paneer” recipe and the IP method is adapted from twosleevers’s butter chicken. Urvashi has some great tips on cooking indian food under pressure. This recipe benefits from a good fresh garam masala blend. I usually keep my garam masala in whole spice form and then grind it about a ¼ cup at a time for a potent spice blend. Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) can be bought online or from an Indian store. If you cant find them, omit and add ¼ teaspoon ground mustard instead. Indian restaurants generally add fenugreek for the flavor and of course a ton of cream and butter.
If you make the recipe, please do rate it. I also love to see your creations, so do tag me #veganricha on Instagram.
Vegan Butter Chicken Video:
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Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken with Soy Curls and Chickpeas - oil-free
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe tomatoes or 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ½ inch (0.5 inch) cube of ginger
- 1 hot or mild green chile , I use serrano
- ¾ cup (250 ml) water , use 1 cup if the tomatoes arent very juicy
- ½ to 1 tsp (½ to 1 tsp ) garam masala
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) paprika or kashmiri chili powder
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon (¼ to ½ teaspoon) cayenne
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
- 1 cup (55 g) soy curls (dry, not rehydrated)
- 1 cup (5.78 oz) cooked chickpeas
- Cashew cream made with with ¼ cup soaked cashews blended with ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) or more garam masala
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) or more sugar or sweetener
- 1 teaspoon kasoori methi - dried fenugreek leaves or add a ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ (0.5) moderately hot green chile finely chopped, or use 2 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) minced or finely chopped ginger
- ¼ cup (4 g) cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Blend the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, chile with water until smooth.
- Add pureed tomato mixture to the Instant pot or pressure cooker. Add soy curls, chickpeas, spices and salt. Close the lid and press manual/pressure cook at high pressure, for 8 to 10 minutes. (6 minutes for stove top pressure cooker). Quick release after 10 minutes. (See notes for Stove top instructions)
- Start the IP on saute (medium heat for stove top pressure cooker). Add the cashew cream, garam masala, sweetener and fenugreek leaves and mix in. Bring to a boil, taste and adjust salt, heat, sweet. Add more cayenne and salt if needed. Fold in the chopped green chile, ginger and cilantro and press cancel(take off heat).
- At this point you can add some vegan butter or oil for additional buttery flavor. Serve hot over rice or with flatbread or Naan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Jocelyn
Question: Is using half chickpeas just to add nutrition? Does it work to simply substitute more soy curls for the chickpeas? Or does that require more liquid or, for example, 1/2 c extra soy curls instead of 1 c extra? Just asking because regular Butter Chicken used to be my daughter’s favorite recipe, so thought all soy curls would make it more similar to the original Butter Chicken (which I used the Twosleeves recipe for). Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
Yes, you can use soy curls just add 1/4 cup more water.
Mandy
If I use a protein that doesn’t absorb liquid (seitan), should I reduce the water that goes into the puree? thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
Use all chickpeas, seitan, other meat subs, or veggies to make soyfree. When using subs that dont absorb much liquid, use larger quantity (for eg 2.5 to 3 cups shredded seitan to sub the soycurls+chickpeas).
Mandy
but should I also reduce the water?
Vegan Richa Support
If you increase the amount of seitan you don’t need to reduce the water.
Srishti
This recipe is one of my all time favorites. Seriously, it has inspired me to keep cooking, and I do some modifications with this recipe for different purposes, but truly it has made me a better cook. It was one of the first recipes I really mastered. And one of the first ones that made me love using my IP. Thank you so so much, Richa. Nowadays, I’m even writing a novel about a chef 🙂
Vegan Richa Support
yay! that is so great! i can’t wait to hear more about the novel!
Kelly Wise
I made this tonight and the recipe is a keeper. Used the stovetop method as I don’t have an Instant Pot. Served it over rice with a green salad and steamed asparagus. Love the cleanness of an oil free meal. Anticipating it’s only going to get better with flavors melding in the fridge, I’m looking forward to eating the left overs. Thanks VeganRicha!
Vegan Richa Support
🙂 thank you for the kind review!
Lisa
Hi Richa,
I just made this, and it’s delicious. Thank you once again. I made it in my IP mini (3-qt) and there was plenty of room. And it was done in about 45 minutes, as noted in the recipe.
If I can get a good photo, I’ll put it on Instagram. 🙂
Vegan Richa Support
yay! thank you!
Julie
Hi! I am planning on making this for a birthday dinner party in 2 days. Can I make it tomorrow and reheat it the day after? (I will be using soy curls only, no chickpeas.)
Richa
Yes, you’ll need additional
Non dairy milk as the sauce would thicken
Julie
Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
🙂
Reni Loewenberg
Another hit in out house! We probably had this recipe about four times in the last 6 weeks. My husband took him leftovers to work the next day and made everyone jealous. Love this.
Vegan Richa Support
yay!
Lupe
Hi, not sure if I’m misunderstanding the recipe but it seems that some ingredients are listed twice – see ginger, chile, and garam masala. Are these added at different times, or are these duplicates?
Richa
It’s listed in order of use. The first set gets blended into the sauce and the next set is added in later as garnish
Leslie
Are these canned chickpeas or dry?
Richa
Canned or cooked
Sonia B
Hello, I am going to make this and wondered if I should use pressure cook on “high” or the middle or low setting? Thank you!
Richa
High pressure
Bel
This is one of the first recipes I have came across from vegan Richa.. years later I’m still making this recipe. And I still LOVE it. Also, it’s super easy to modify things here and there and it’s still delicious every time.
Vegan Richa Support
awesome!
coco
Does this recipe freeze well? Thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
yes!
Laura Herrin
Super easy to make- and so good. No chick peas so doubled the soy curls. Definitely add some vegan butter.
Vegan Richa Support
Yum!
Pam
I love this. So simple and yet so tasty.
I sub vegan mince as can’t get curls. Its still delicious.
I also rarely cook without onions and can’t get my head around it. 🙃
Vegan Richa Support
perfect sub! thank you for making this recipe!
Shirley
Could I use coconut cream instead of the cashew one? Thanks. I love your recipes!
Vegan Richa Support
Yes, coconut cream can be used. Enjoy!