Dairy-free Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is a favorite in Northern Indian cuisine and always on the menu at any Indian restaurant. It’s rich and decadent and so satisfying, but leaves the dairy-free diners wanting. I created the below recipe to serve the many that cannot digest the butter and heavy creams that are added to this dish. My go to favorite for a rich creamy buttery texture and taste is cashew cream that can easily be made at home ahead of time.

My referred method is to soak the cashews 4-6 hours to overnight, which allows it to plump up and achieve a creamy texture when blending. Soaking also makes the cashews more easily digestible.

Yield: Serves 3-4

Difficulty Level: Low-Medium

Prep Time: 10-15 mins

Overnight Cashew Soak Time: 4-8 hours

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Serve with plain steamed rice and/or naan

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 large garlic cloves, halved

1 1/2 -inch piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped

1 pound tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 2 1/4 cups)

1 cup + 4 tablespoons Cashew Cream (see below)

¼ to ½ cup water, as needed

For the Chicken:

3-4 tablespoons neutral oil

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder (mild chili used more for its color than spice)

1 teaspoon amchoor (dried mango powder)

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons kasoori methi (dried fenugreek)

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

For the Sauce:

Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium to medium-high. Add coriander and cumin seeds and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned and aroma is released. Next add the onions and cook till translucent and soft, about 2-3 minutes. Now add the ginger and garlic and cook about 1 minute, stirring every 10-15 seconds to ensure the garlic and ginger does not burn. Now add the tomatoes and cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has cooked down completely. Let this mixture cool for a few minutes before adding to a blender, blending to a puree. You may need to add about 1-2 tablespoons of cashew cream to thin out the tomato blend and allow for a smooth consistency. *If sauce is still too thick add 1-2 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth and creamy. Leave this sauce in the blender while using the same saucepan to cook the chicken.

For the Chicken:

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the same saucepan on medium to medium-high and add the chicken, stir, and cook a few minutes till opaque, about 2-4 minutes. Next add all the spices except kasoori methi, garam masala, cayenne pepper and coriander. Mix chicken and spices all together, reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for about 5-7 minutes till chicken is cooked through. Raise the heat to medium and add the blended tomato sauce, and 1 cup of cashew cream and mix well. Add ¼ cup of water to loosen the sauce and bring to a quick boil. *Add additional 1 tablespoon of water at a time as needed if the sauce is still too thick. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, mix well, and bring to a quick boil. Turn off heat and add kasoori methi, garam masala, cayenne pepper, mix well and cover. Let this sit for 5 minutes to bring all the flavors together.

When ready to serve, swirl remaining Cashew Cream over top and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Cashew Cream:

Soak ½ cup whole cashews (unsalted and unroasted) in 2 cups of water, at least 4-6 hours to overnight. After soaking time, rinse the cashews with fresh water. In a blender add cashews and ½ cup water and blend till a smooth consistency. This may take about 2 minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time as needed if it’s too thick, and blend further. The texture should be like that of heavy cream.

*During the cooking process the cream will thicken very quickly. Due to this add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time as needed.