Vegan Butter Chickpeas (Indian Butter Chicken-Inspired)

THE INSPIRATION: INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN & CURRY

I love Indian food and different types of curry really, so I decided to create the lush sauce/base I love for Butter Chicken and use chickpeas since I also love chana masala so here we are.

I can say the flavours from spices in this butter chickpeas are authentic as I really tried to replicate those from my favourite Indian restaurant but the technique may differ as I cook this in the comforts of my home and use ingredients that I have. I didn’t have coriander seeds and fenugreek, which would’ve been great additions to the flavour profile of this recipe.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THIS VEGAN BUTTER CHICKPEAS

For the Puree/Base

The full detailed & printable recipe is in the recipe card below.

For the Butter Chickpeas

To Serve

• Chopped fresh coriander
• Naan paratha, roti, or basmati rice to serve

PREPARATION

FOR THE CHICKPEAS AND AROMATICS

• If using canned chickpeas, drain and wash the chickpeas through water. Set aside.
• Prepare the aromatics. For the ginger, I like to use a spoon to peel this.
• Crush, roughly peel, and then roughly chop the garlic.
• Dice the onion. Divide into 2 parts. I used 1 part for the base and the other part for stir-frying with the chickpeas.

HOW TO MAKE THE RICH BUTTER CHICKPEAS BASE

• Heat a large wok or skillet over medium.
• Once hot, add the oil and melt the vegan butter. Stir-fry the onion, garlic, and ginger until aromatic.
• Add in the spices: cumin seed powder, garam masala, red chili powder, and turmeric powder along with the cashews.
• Pour in the diced tomatoes and water. Season with salt and sugar, to taste. I like to add sugar to counter the acidity from the tomatoes.
• Mix well and then cover the wok/skillet and allow everything to come to a boil. Once it boils, lower heat to a simmer and leave for 5-8 minutes until the cashews have softened.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until you get a smooth and thick puree.

COOKING THE BUTTER CHICKPEAS

• In the same wok or skillet over medium heat, melt more vegan butter or add oil.
• Stir-fry the onion and then add the chickpeas. Stir-fry the chickpeas for 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the tomato-cashew puree into the wok. Add water in your blender to rinse off any excess puree (so nothing goes to waste!) and then pour it in the butter chickpeas in the wok.
• Allow to simmer to come to a boil for 2-3 minutes. You can add more water if you prefer a runnier consistency. Taste the curry and feel free to season with more salt/sugar to taste.
• Turn off the heat. Garnish with fresh coriander.

ENJOY YOUR VEGAN BUTTER CHICKPEAS!

• Serve hot and enjoy with with naan, paratha, basmati rice, or any other carb of your choice! I served mine with store bought frozen paratha that I simply pan-fried.