Vegan Butter Chicken

Vegan Butter Chicken

Vegan Butter Chicken is a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional butter chicken that uses seitan as the main ingredient.

Seitan, also known as wheat gluten, is a versatile and nutritious meat substitute that is high in protein and low in fat. It’s the perfect base for creating a vegan version of this classic Indian dish.

The key to making a great vegan butter chicken is to knead the seitan well. This step may take a bit of time, but it’s essential to achieving the right texture for the dish.

A well-kneaded seitan will give your dish a chicken-like texture that is perfect for mimicking the flavors of traditional butter chicken.

Let’s go!

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5 from 5 votes

Vegan Butter Chicken

Flavorful and delicious vegan butter chicken recipe by Veganbell.

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Course -Dinner

Cuisine -Indian

Keyword -indian, indian vegan, indian vegan recipe, vegan butter chicken, vegan chicken

Prep Time -10 minutes

Cook Time -30 minutes

Total Time -40 minutes

Servings -2 people

Calories -395kcal

Author -Veganbell

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Recipe Video

Ingredients

To prepare seitan,

• 1/2 cup wheat gluten
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon BBQ seasoning mix (optional)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 4 cups veggie broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

To prepare gravy,

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• 3 cardamoms
• 4 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 1-inch ginger (chopped)
• 2 onions (sliced)
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• Salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup coconut cream
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (finely chopped)

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Instructions

Preparing the seitan 'chicken' pieces,

• In a large mixing bowl, add wheat gluten + nutritional yeast + garlic powder + onion powder + smoked paprika + salt + pepper + BBQ seasoning mix.  
• Stir and mix well. Then add soy sauce + warm water. With the help of a spatula, combine the dry + wet ingredients. 
• As it starts to form a dough, switch over to your hands and knead well. Kneading is really important (I knead them for like 7-10 minutes). A well-kneaded seitan is meaty and elastic.
• Tear the seitan into smaller chunks (around 1-inch pieces) and set aside. 
• Heat a saucepan and add 4 cups veggie broth. Bring it to a simmer. Now add the seitan chunks and gently simmer for 8-10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Remove and drain the pieces.
• Heat a pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Once it's hot, add the seitan pieces and saute for 4-5 minutes or until it starts to brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Preparing the gravy,

• Heat the same pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Once it's hot, add bay leaf + cinnamon stick + clove + cardamom. Stir and saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
• Add garlic + ginger + onion. Stir and saute for 3-4 minutes or until the onions turn golden brown.
• Add tomato puree + turmeric powder + coriander powder + cumin powder + salt. Mix well, cover the lid, and cook for 8-10 minutes over low heat (stir occasionally).
• Open the lid, add 1 cup water and mix well. Add the browned seitan pieces and mix some more. Cover the lid and cook for 5 minutes over low-medium heat.
• Turn off the heat. Add coconut cream + freshly chopped cilantro and give it a gentle stir. Vegan butter chicken is ready. Serve over rice, roti, or naan.

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Notes

1. Nutrition chart is for reference. Nutrition from rice isn't included.

Nutrition

Calories: 395 kcal | Carbohydrates: 30 g | Protein: 16 g | Fat: 26 g | Saturated Fat: 11 g | Sodium: 360 mg | Potassium: 753 mg | Fiber: 8 g | Sugar: 8 g | Vitamin A: 715 IU | Vitamin C: 19 mg | Calcium: 77 mg | Iron: 4.2 mg

If you enjoyed this Vegan Butter Chicken recipe, check out this delicious Vegan Palak Paneer recipe I posted earlier.

If you like to support me and my work, check out my Indian Vegan, Air Fryer Vegan, and all my upcoming cookbooks where I teach you how to make hundreds of delicious plant-based recipes.

Thank you for stopping by!

Keywords: vegan chicken, butter chicken, seitan, Indian flavors, kneading seitan, meat substitute, protein-rich, vegetarian recipe, dairy-free, gluten-free, nutritional yeast, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, cashew cream, cilantro, Indian vegan cuisine