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    Home > Recipes

    Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken with Tofu

    Posted: Nov 29, 2018 ยท Updated: Jan 10, 2022

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken. A quick and easy IP version of an Indian restaurant favorite. A creamy, silky and buttery orange gravy with chunks of flavorful tofu. Gluten-free, can be nut-free, soy-free and oil-free. #vegan #indian #instantpot #curry #tofu #buttertofu HolyCowVegan.net
    This easy and tasty Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken is ready in under 30 minutes, with tofu replacing the chicken. The recipe is a speedy spin on a classic Indian restaurant favorite, and you don't miss out on any of the delicious flavor. A gluten-free recipe. Can be nut-free and oil-free.
    A black kadhai bowl with a fiery orange vegan butter chicken with tofu cubes floating in it, garnished with cashew cream and cilantro. Next to it are vegan naan and a black and white paisley print napkin on a black-blue background.

    Butter chicken is so beloved in Punjab, the north Indian state where it originated, that it is often, jokingly, referred to as its state bird. But this dish is not just revered in the land of its birth: across the world, Indophiles will typically cite this as one of their most favorite of Indian foods, and it's not hard to see why.

    The secret is that flaming orange gravy, so creamy and buttery that it coats your tongue with velvety deliciousness. It's a sensation impossible to describe, and one you won't fathom unless you actually taste it. That's why, for you, today, I have my vegan version of a butter chicken that tastes exactly as it should--minus the chicken, of course.

    Instead, my vegan and dairy-free butter chicken is made with tofu that's doused with flavorful spices and then baked to create a delicious texture that'll remind you a lot of chicken. All of it is then dunked in the spicy, silky tomato onion gravy flavored with spices and herbs.

    The version I have for you today is made in an Instant Pot and it comes together in no time at all. If you want a stovetop version, try this fantastic Vegan Butter Chicken recipe.

    A black kadhai bowl with a fiery orange vegan butter chicken with tofu cubes floating in it, garnished with cashew cream and cilantro. Next to it are vegan naan, wedges of lime, green chili peppers and a black and white paisley print napkin on a black-blue background.

    What we love about this Instant Pot vegan butter chicken recipe

    • It's as good as the real thing--likely better.
    • It's an Instant Pot recipe, so easy peasy.
    • It's delicious.
    • It's kid-friendly.
    • It's SOOO good for you, and you won't feel like you're eating healthy food.
    • It's adaptable. You can swap out the tofu for chickpeas or lentils and you'll have a delicious vegan dinner to serve.
    Photo of vegan butter chicken made in the Instant Pot and served in a black kadhai bowl. The sauce is garnished with cashew cream and cilantro and next to it are vegan naan, wedges of lime and green chili peppers.

    The beauty of a makhani gravy -- and perhaps the secret to its popularity -- lies in the fact that it encompasses all of the six flavors: spicy, salty, sweet, sour, bitter and astringent. Balancing those flavors in your gravy gives you a food that's, in two words, perfectly delicious. Beyond imagination.

    Ingredients that impart that unique flavor to butter chicken

    • Spicy/pungent: Onions, paprika and cayenne
    • Salty: Salt
    • Sweet: Sugar or maple syrup
    • Sour: Tomatoes, lemon or lime
    • Bitter: Kasoori methi or dry fenugreek leaves
    • Astringent: Turmeric, coriander, garam masala

    Ingredient shopping list

    • 1 medium onion
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • 1-inch piece ginger
    • 2 tsp paprika (Kashmiri chili powder is a good substitute)
    • 1 cup water or vegetable stock
    • 16 oz superfirm tofu (or extra firm tofu, with water pressed out)
    • 1 tsp vegetable oil
    • 2 cups (or a 14.5 oz can) pureed tomatoes (or puree two large tomatoes)
    • 2 tsp coriander powder
    • ยฝ tsp cayenne (use more or less based on your preference)
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tbsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves -- you can leave this out, but try and use it for the best flavor)
    • 2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp maple syrup (or sugar)
    • 2 tbsp raw cashews (If nut-free, use 2 tablespoon vegan butter instead of the cashew cream)
    • 2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
    • 2 tbsp coriander leaves

    It takes barely 30 minutes to take this Vegan Butter Chicken from start to finish. Really. And if you cook Indian food with any regularity, you probably already have many of the spices in your pantry.

    A black kadhai bowl with a fiery orange vegan butter chicken with tofu cubes floating in it, garnished with cashew cream and cilantro. Next to it are vegan naan, wedges of lime, green chili peppers and a black and white paisley print napkin on a black-blue background.

    Tips and tricks

    • I use superfirm tofu in this recipe, but you can use other substitutes for the meat. Chickpeas, lentils, and even veggies like cauliflower, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, green peppers, eggplant, squash, or a mix, would work well.
    • Use canned tomato puree instead of fresh, if you want to get from start to finish even faster.
    • You can make this recipe free of any added oil (not fat-free) by sauteing your tofu in the first step in a couple of tablespoons of cashew cream. In that case, make a little more cashew cream -- you also need ยผ cup of it to stir into the gravy at the end,.
    • Use vegetable stock instead of water to add more flavor.
    • Whatever you do, do not substitute the cashew cream with coconut milk. There is sometimes a tendency among nut-free vegan cooks to use coconut milk as a substitute in recipes, including Indian recipes. While this is fine in many cases for South Indian recipes, because coconut is eaten liberally in the south, North Indian recipes (including butter chicken) rely on cream and butter for creaminess and very rarely incorporate coconut. Coconut adds a very specific taste that will change the flavor of your butter tofu. If you are nut-free, use a vegan butter instead of the cashew cream. Stir in a couple of tablespoons of it at the end.
    • You can make this recipe on the stove top or in a pressure cooker. See recipe notes for how-tos.

    What to serve with the Instant Pot vegan butter chicken

    Serve the vegan butter chicken hot with a storebought or homemade garlic naan or aloo kulcha or jeera rice, and a few wedges of lemon and onion for a complete, healthful and memorable meal that you'll be asked to make again and again.

    Now let's dive into this recipe for an Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken. You'll truly be amazed by how simple it is.

    More Indian vegan recipes

    • Tofu Makhani
    • Oven Blackened Tandoori Tofu
    • Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu
    • Tofu Tikka Masala
    • Tofu Egg Curry
    A black kadhai bowl with a fiery orange vegan butter chicken with tofu cubes floating in it, garnished with cashew cream and cilantro. Next to it are vegan naan, wedges of lime, green chili peppers and a black and white paisley print napkin on a black-blue background.
    Vegan Butter Chicken with Tofu, a creamy, orange gravy with all six tastes of Ayurveda, with flavorful cubes of tofu. #vegan #tofu #curry #butterchicken #dinner #ayurveda HolyCowVegan.net

    Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken

    This easy and tasty Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken is ready in under 30 minutes, with tofu replacing the chicken. The recipe is a speedy spin on a classic Indian restaurant favorite, and you don't miss out on any of the delicious flavor. A gluten-free recipe. Can be nut-free and oil-free.
    5 from 44 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Main/Curry
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 20 mins
    Total Time: 30 mins
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 183kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Ingredients 

    • 1 medium onion (chopped)
    • 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
    • 1-inch piece ginger (chopped)
    • 2 teaspoon paprika (Kashmiri chili powder is a good substitute)
    • 1 cup water or vegetable stock
    • 1 16 oz block superfirm tofu, cut into ยฝ-inch cubes (extra firm tofu is fine. Press out all of the water before use)
    • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
    • 2 cups (or a 14.5 oz can) pureed tomatoes (or puree two large tomatoes)
    • 2 teaspoon coriander powder
    • ยฝ teaspoon cayenne (use more or less based on your preference)
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tablespoon kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves -- you can leave this out, but try and use it for the best flavor)
    • 2 teaspoon garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or sugar)
    • 2 tablespoon raw cashews (If nut-free, use 2 tablespoon vegan butter instead of the cashew cream)
    • 2 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
    • 2 tablespoon coriander leaves (for garnish)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Blend the cashews with ยผ cup water or vegetable stock into a smooth paste and set aside.
    • Blend the onions, garlic, ginger and the paprika with ยพ cup water or vegetable stock. Place the tofu cubes in a bowl and add half a cup of the onion-ginger-garlic-paprika puree to the bowl. Toss the tofu cubes in the puree.
    • Set the Instant Pot to the saute function. Add the oil and when it's hot, add the tofu cubes. Saute, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the remaining onion-ginger-garlic-paprika puree, the tomato puree, coriander powder, cayenne and kasoori methi. Add salt to taste, give it a stir, and put the lid on. Set the Instant Pot to cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
    • After cooking is complete,  release pressure manually after 10 minutes. Open the lid.
    • If the butter tofu is too thick, you can thin it out with more vegetable stock or water. Stir in the garam masala, cashew cream or vegan butter, maple syrup or sugar and lemon or lime juice. Add more salt if needed. Heat the butter chicken tofu, especially if you added more stock or water, by turning the saute function back on. Once it's warmed through, remove to a bowl, garnish with coriander leaves, and serve hot with naan or roti or rice.

    Recipe notes

    • Make this quick and easy butter tofu in a saucepan. Saute the tofu and the onion-ginger-garlic mixture in oil for about five minutes over medium-high heat, then add the tomatoes, saute until they turn a couple of shades darker and moisture has evaporated, then add spices and proceed. Let the curry cook about 10 minutes, then proceed with step 5.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.3g | Protein: 14.7g | Fat: 7.9g | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 5.9g | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4.5mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    Hi! I am so happy you're here. I'm Vaishali, and I've been sharing recipes for delicious vegan food at Holy Cow Vegan since 2007. Every one of the more than 1,000 recipes on this blog has been tried and tested -- and loved -- by my family and I. I hope you will find something here to share with your loved ones. Thanks for stopping by!
    Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathani

      September 09, 2021 at 11:07 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe! Prepared this for dinner tonight and I loved it. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

      Reply
    2. Jen

      April 22, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      5 stars
      Have tried around 6 recipes for veg butter chicken. This is the best by far. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        April 22, 2021 at 2:37 pm

        Hi Jen, so happy you loved it. Thanks for letting me know. โค๏ธ

        Reply
    3. TJ

      February 26, 2021 at 3:51 pm

      This is the best butter "chicken" I've had since going vegan.. Thank you so much. Love this recipe so much that it will be going into our regular weekly rotation (as per orders from my hubbie...lol)

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        February 26, 2021 at 4:23 pm

        Hi, so happy to hear! ๐Ÿ™‚ This is one of my son Jay's favorite dishes.

        Reply
    4. Dan

      January 22, 2021 at 8:32 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks so much for an easy-to-follow recipe. I just got my IP for Christmas and have made a couple soups but this was my first authentic Indian dish. It was delicious, esp served over Jasmine Rice and with Naan. Question: I followed your recipe to the letter, omitting only the Fenugreek because I couldn't find it, but it came out more red than orange-ish yellow like in your pics. Did you/should I have added Turmeric or Saffron to achieve the same color as yours?

      Again, thank you and keep up the great posts!

      Reply
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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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