Name: Vegan Butter Chickpeas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 yellow onion (or white or sweet); 15 oz. can chickpeas; 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes; 14 oz. can coconut milk (regular, unsweetened); 1/4 cup peanut butter (creamy, natural); 3 Tbsp. tomato paste; 1 1/3 Tbsp. curry powder (1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp.); 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder*; 1 tsp. smoked paprika (or regular paprika); 1 Tbsp. tamari; Cooked brown rice (and/or flatbread), cashews, cilantro for garnish

These easy Indian-inspired "Butter Chickpeas" are a healthier, vegan version of classic Butter Chicken, but made with whole food, plant-based ingredients! The rich, velvety sauce is ultra-creamy, super satisfying, and packed with warm, savory flavor.

Bowl of vegan butter chickpeas and rice topped with cashews

These Indian-inspired "Butter Chickpeas" are an amazingly satisfying 30 minute meal. Tender, hearty chickpeas swim in a rich, velvety sauce that's packed with warm, savory flavor.

It's also pleasantly filling and quite substantial - especially when served with brown rice and crushed cashews. (Our favorite way to enjoy!)

Bowl of vegan butter chickpeas and rice with spoon

Making Butter Chickpeas

Butter Chicken is a popular Indian dish that was developed in the 1950's. Traditionally, the sauce is comprised of a tomato and onion base with curry and butter. However in this vegan (and non-traditional) adaption, we eliminate the butter and achieve that velvety richness with coconut milk and peanut butter. The result is luscious and creamy!

The sauce is forgiving so go ahead and take liberties with the "accent" seasonings you enjoy. Cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, garam masala, and chili powder are all lovely additions depending on your preference.

Vegan Butter Chickpeas in a bowl with rice and cilantro

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5 from 13 votes

Vegan Butter Chickpeas

These Indian-inspired Butter Chickpeas are a healthier, vegan version of Butter Chicken - made with whole food, plant-based ingredients. Rich, ultra-creamy & super satisfying!

AuthorKaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

CategoryMain Dish

CuisineGluten-Free, Indian-Inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings4 large bowls

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

1 yellow onion (or white or sweet)
15 oz. can chickpeas
15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
14 oz. can coconut milk (regular, unsweetened)
1/4 cup peanut butter (creamy, natural)
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/3 Tbsp. curry powder (1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp.)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder*
1 tsp. smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
1 Tbsp. tamari

For serving:

Cooked brown rice (and/or flatbread), cashews, cilantro for garnish

Instructions

Begin cooking your rice, or prepare it ahead of time so it's ready to go.
Dice onion.
In a large skillet over med-high heat, saute onion for 7-8 minutes. (I use 3 Tbsp. water/broth for no-oil saute method, adding more as needed.)
When onion is softened, add the curry powder (more/less as desired), garlic powder, and smoked paprika (or other seasonings of choice*). Stir and heat for 1 minute, adding a touch more liquid if necessary.
Rinse and drain chickpeas. Add chickpeas and diced tomatoes (with juice) to skillet. Stir and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Carefully add coconut milk, peanut butter, and tomato paste. Stir until well combined.
Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally as the sauce thickens.
Before serving, stir in the tamari. (Taste and add more, or salt to taste as desired).
Serve warm over brown rice, topped with cashews (recommended!) and fresh cilantro if desired.

Notes

*Modify the "accent" spices as desired. I use garlic & smoked paprika, but play around with cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, garam masala, chili powder, etc. I've found this to be a pretty forgiving recipe so feel free to take some liberties and have fun. You can also substitute fresh garlic for the garlic powder, or add freshly grated ginger.

Add a fresh squeeze of lemon juice for acidity, and/or 1 Tbsp. maple syrup for sweetness.

For us, this recipe yields about 4 large bowls, or 5-6 smaller/medium bowls. (It's quite filling & substantial, especially served with rice & cashews.)

Estimated nutritional content is calculated without brown rice and cashews.

Recipe adapted from Earth of Maria

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Calories: 470 kcalCarbohydrates: 35 gProtein: 14 gFat: 34 gSaturated Fat: 23 gPotassium: 946 mgFiber: 11 gSugar: 10 gVitamin A: 590 IUVitamin C: 18 mgCalcium: 116 mgIron: 6 mg

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Comments

Cristina

January 14, 2021 at 8:49 pm

Wow! This was incredible! I even ate a second bowl. I only had stewed tomatoes and no paprika so I subbed turmeric. It looked beautiful and tasted amazing!! Hoping I’ll be able to share on my blog one day - with your permission of course 😉

- Kaitlin McGinn
  
  January 27, 2021 at 12:20 pm
  
  So great to hear, thank you for sharing! 🙂
  
Rhonda

October 19, 2020 at 2:34 pm

This looks great! Would you tell me the serving size?

- Kaitlin McGinn
  
  November 09, 2020 at 12:46 pm
  
  Thanks Rhonda! I estimate this recipe to yield about 4 large bowls, but it can certainly be stretched to 5-6 smaller bowls (especially if served with rice)! Hope you enjoy if you give it a try 🙂
  
Sylvia W

September 12, 2020 at 7:57 am

Pooh, I just stumbled across this while waiting for my client, and I am going to be making this ASAP 😋😁

- Kaitlin McGinn
  
  October 01, 2020 at 11:39 am
  
  Hope you enjoy, Sylvia! 🙂
  
Ben Brown

April 17, 2020 at 8:45 pm

This blew my socks off! It was so good! I was taste testing along the way and was worried after the peanut butter was added it would just taste like a peanut sauce. But as it cooked and simmered and ultimately served with rice it became absolutely incredible! I literally didn’t even sit down to eat, just ate at my counter, it was SOOOOO good! Thank you!

- Kaitlin McGinn
  
  April 20, 2020 at 5:43 pm
  
  Haha! So happy to hear this, Ben! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback (and recipe rating) - very appreciated! Absolutely thrilled it worked out for you 🙂 Have a great week! -Kaitlin
  
Yulie

March 09, 2020 at 8:28 pm

Can the peanut butter be replaced with tahini?

- Kaitlin McGinn
  
  March 10, 2020 at 9:57 am
  
  Ooh, interesting idea! It would change the flavor a bit, but I think that would work! Would love to hear if you give it a go and how it turns out!! 🙂
  
Noemi

February 26, 2020 at 5:34 pm

DELICIOUS! Even my 10 & 8 y/o picky eaters enjoyed it. I added a bit of maple syrup to help them with the spiciness of it and I didn’t hear any complaints! I’m definitely going to make it again & often!

- Kaitlin McGinn
  
  February 27, 2020 at 1:11 pm
  
  Hi Noemi! So amazing to hear both your kids enjoyed this!! Love the maple syrup addition to balance it out for them, great call! Thank you so much for your kind words and coming back to let me know - very appreciated 🙂 Wishing you all a lovely rest of the week!
  
Lu Ann @ The Cup of Life

February 13, 2020 at 5:24 pm

This recipe was SOOO good! My fiance was a fan of butter chicken dishes years ago (when he wasn't plant based, of course lol) and this is the first time we found a recipe that satisfied that craving perfectly. I absolutely love how simple this recipe is, too. We had pretty much everything on hand (except for cannned tomato) but we diced up fresh tomatoes and it worked. Thanks so much for our new favourite quick meal 🙂

- Kaitlin McGinn
  
  February 18, 2020 at 10:37 am
  
  Yay! Thanks so much for sharing Lu Ann - the fresh tomato addition is perfect! Wonderful to hear you both enjoyed. Hope you're staying warm & cozy this winter. Matcha cheers! 😉