Creamy, deeply-seasoned vegan butter chicken is a snap to make in the oven! This creamy tomato and tofu curry is a total crowd-pleaser. Even the kiddo loves it!
Servings 4
Author Becky Striepe
Ingredients
¾cupplain vegan yogurtunsweetened
1tablespoonlemon juice
1teaspoonturmeric
3teaspoonsGaram masala
1teaspoonground cumin
1blockextra firm tofupressed and cut into large cubes
¼cupcashewssoaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drained
⅓cupwaterNOT the soaking water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400° F
In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, 1 teaspoon of Garam masala, and cumin. Mix well, then add the tofu cubes and toss to coat. Marinate for 15-30 minutes.
Transfer the tofu to a lined baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes, no need to flip. Do not turn off the oven when you pull out the tofu.
While the tofu bakes, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion, peppers, cinnamon stick, garlic, and ginger. Saute until the onion turns translucent, then add the rest of the Garam masala and the paprika, stirring to combine. Remove the pan from the heat.
When the tofu finishes baking, add it to the same Dutch oven, tossing gently to coat the tofu well in the sauce. Cover, and bake for another 20 minutes at 400° F.
While the tofu bakes in the sauce, combine the cashews and water in your blender, and puree until you have a completely smooth cashew cream. If needed, you can add up to 1 tablespoon additional water to get things moving in the blender. When the tofu finishes baking in the sauce, remove the pot from the oven, stir in the cashew cream and remaining 2 tablespoons of vegan butter, and serve.
Video
Notes
Time Saving Tip: Prep the sauce ingredients while the tofu marinates to reduce prep time.
If you can't find fresh garlic or ginger, it's OK to use dried in a pinch. Use a tablespoon of garlic powder and a teaspoon of ground ginger in place of the fresh.
For a mild butter tofu, remove the seeds from the serrano peppers. You can omit them completely, if you don't want any heat at all. If you can't find serranos, you can use small jalapenos instead.