For a quick but finger-licking-good dinner, try this vegan Butter Tofu made with coconut milk, crushed tomatoes and warming spices. You won't regret it!

Closeup image of two plates of Vegan Butter Tofu on a white marble background. The dish is served with millet and cilantro leaves, and a bunch of cilantro and small bowl of turmeric are nearby, as well as two forks.

Full disclosure: I've never actually eaten Butter Chicken.

I have no idea what it's supposed to taste like. A friend and I were having dinner recently and she kept describing how the sauce should taste. It sounded so, so good (creamy yet spicy) that I couldn't get it out of my head.

I spent the next week thinking about how I could make a version of this delicious dish myself!

One night in the kitchen, I began throwing spices, coconut milk and crushed tomatoes into a saucepan, and kept mixing and adding ingredients until I was happy with the result. I grilled some tofu, tossed it in too and voila - what came out was this delicious Butter Tofu.

I make no claim that this tastes exactly like the traditional chicken dish, but I can tell you it's friend-tested and is absolutely DELICIOUS, full of creamy spiciness and with a rich savoury flavour.

Overhead image of two plates of Vegan Butter Tofu on a white marble background. The dish is served with millet and cilantro leaves, and a bunch of cilantro and small bowl of turmeric are nearby.

BUTTER TOFU - NOTES & SUBSTITUTIONS

Coconut milk - Instead of butter, I've used coconut milk and combined it with tomatoes, garam masala and coriander to give the dish an intense but creamy flavour. It's really important to use the highest quality coconut milk you can, as not all are created equal, and the lower priced ones tend to have a lower fat content - which means they won't be as creamy/tasty!

Tofu firmness - Feel free to use your choice of tofu, but I'd recommend using medium-firm. Firm is exactly that: too firm! As a result, I find it doesn't soak up as much of the sauce as a medium firm tofu would.

High fat - Do be aware that this dish (as with all butter tofu or butter chicken dishes) is rich-tasting and pretty high in fat. While these fats are from whole food sources, I mention this in case it's something you're being mindful of.

Serving suggestions - Serve this butter tofu with whatever you love, but personally I like brown rice, millet or quinoa to boost the nutrient content.

I also love to add a garnish of something for extra colour and goodness. Both cilantro and parsley work really well, as does red cabbage sauerkraut to balance out the rich flavour!

Overhead images shows various ingredients on a white marble background: a cast iron pan of tofu cubes, a bowl of turmeric, a bunch of cilantro, a jar of coconut milk, some coconut oil, crushed tomatoes and a bulb of garlic.

NEW TO A VEGAN DIET?

Check out these handy resources:

How to Go Vegan (10 Easy Steps)

How to Cook Tofu 3 Ways

How to Shop as a Vegan

If you're looking for more info on adopting a plant-based diet, Veganuary is a great place to start.

More tofu recipes

Vegan Tofu Noodles with Almond Butter

How to Make Crispy Tofu

Buddha Bowls

Overhead image of two plates of Vegan Butter Tofu on a white marble background.

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5 from 10 votes

Butter Tofu (vegan, gluten-free)

For a quick but finger-licking-good dinner, try this vegan Butter Tofu, made with coconut milk, crushed tomatoes and warming spices. You won't regret it!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: gluten-free, healthy, Indian, vegan, vegetarian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 2 people

Author: Elizabeth Emery

Ingredients

For the Tofu

350 g block of medium or firm tofu
½ tablespoon grapeseed, olive or avocado oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce

3 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger (you can use powdered ginger instead, but use ½ tbsp)
3 tablespoon coconut oil
1 heaped tsp turmeric
1 heaped tsp coriander
4 teaspoon garam masala spice
¾ cup crushed tomatoes (I like Whole Foods 365 own brand with basil)
¾ cup full fat coconut milk (very important to use full fat!)
1 tsp Bragg's Soy Seasoning or tamari/soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

To serve (optional)

Brown rice, quinoa or millet
Chopped cilantro

Instructions

Preheat your oven's grill/broiler. Cut the tofu into roughly 1½-2cm cubes.
Place the tofu in an oven-proof dish, and add ½ tablespoon grapeseed, olive or avocado oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss the tofu in the pan to ensure it's well-coated.
Grill/broil in the oven for 12-14 minutes until it is golden brown, then flip the tofu over, and re-season with salt and pepper.
Grill for 8-10 minutes more until golden but not dried out, then remove from the oven and set aside.
While the tofu is grilling, prepare the sauce. Heat the coconut oil in a large pan on a medium/low heat, and gently sauté the garlic and ginger in it for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the spices and stir for another minute.
Add the crushed tomatoes, coconut milk and Bragg's to the pan, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat.
Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture starts to stick, turn the heat down a little and add some more coconut milk or water.
Add the grilled tofu to the sauce and simmer the mixture for a further 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Serve with brown rice, quinoa or millet and garnish each plate with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

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Notes

Notes & Substitutions