Instant Pot "Butter Chicken"
A vegan interpretation of a popular Indian curry
January 04, 2021
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 3 cups crushed tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups or 150 g soy curls (textured vegetable protein)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup coconut milk
Preparation
Add coconut oil to instant pot and set to 'saute'. Add minced fresh ginger, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Add spices (curry powder, garam masala, cumin, salt, ground ginger, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper), sugar, tomato sauce, broth, and textured vegetable protein. Stir to combine. Close and seal instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
Once the time is up, use quick release to depressurize the instant pot. Carefully open the lid and add the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Add coconut milk and stir. Add more salt, pepper, sugar, or cayenne pepper to adjust the flavour if necessary. Serve topped with fresh herbs, with rice or naan.
Thanks ElaVegan for the recipe!
![Rice topped with "butter chicken", tomatoes, and a side of flatbread](/static/4ac33b95da345b508b76286d2644f303/e8d27/butter-tvp.jpg "\\"Butter Chicken\\" and tomatoes served on top of rice, with a side of flatbread")
One of our favourite comfort food cuisines is Indian food: tender, spicy, and bone-warming. Butter chicken is among our typical dishes to order from local Indian restaurants, shout out to Tandoori Fusion and Raga Restaurant for many a meal.
This recipe is admittedly not traditional Butter Chicken at all, containing neither butter nor chicken. Coconut oil provides the sautéing fats while textured vegetable protein (which goes by many names, including "soy" or it's acronym "TVP") is a nutritious, delicious, and ridiculously cost-effective vegan meat substitute. The instant pot coaxes the TVP to quickly absorb the saucy goodness.