Vegan "Paneer" Butter Masala

5 from 11 votes

Taking the dairy out of this vegan Paneer Butter Masala, a Punjabi classic, does not take away from its mindblowing flavor or its authenticity or its deliciousness. Give this gluten-free recipe a try and you'll be hooked for good.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: gluten-free, Indian, Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 139kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegan butter
1 large onion (finely chopped)
4 cloves garlic (crushed into a paste)
1 inch ginger (crushed into a paste. You can do this along with the garlic)
3 medium tomatoes (chopped)
¼ cup raw cashews
1 tbsp coriander powder
2 tsp paprika (or Kashmiri chili powder)
½ tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp sugar
10 oz super firm tofu (cut into ½-inch cubes)
2 tbsp cilantro (chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

Heat 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan.
Add the onions, garlic and ginger and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions turn translucent.
Add the tomatoes and the cashews. Cook, covered but stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have reduced to a pulp. Add the coriander powder, turmeric and paprika and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Carefully, taking care not to burn yourself, ladle out the tomato-onion-spice mixture into a blender. Or, if you have an immersion blender, use that. Add a cup of water or preferably vegetable stock and blend into a very, very smooth paste.
Pour the sauce back into the saucepan. For an even smoother texture to your sauce, you can strain it. Add the garam masala and stir in.
Add the kasoori methi and sugar and stir well. If the sauce looks too thick, you can thin it out with more vegetable stock. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat.
Add the cubes of tofu, season with salt, bring back to a boil, and continue to cook, covered for another five minutes.
Turn off the heat, garnish with cilantro, and serve hot with naan or roti or rice.

Nutrition