This dairy free and coconut free butter chicken is one that the whole family can enjoy. When we were coconut free I missed curry so much, I spent a lot of time trying to create something that was just as delicious as the cream or coconut laden version, that was family friendly as well. At the time I made this we were dairy free, coconut free and cashew free (among other things) and it was so hard to find recipes that could resemble anything creamy without any of those ingredients. It’s safe to say that iv’e nailed this one. No dairy or coconut required as the cauliflower helps to achieve that creamy texture. It’s fragrant, smooth and delicious.
Anyone else struggle to get veggies into the kids at dinner every night? Eight veggies crammed in and disguised as butter chicken in here! This one is solving all sorts of problems!
The lemon juice
If you don’t have lemon juice on hand, you can replace that with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
Veggies out of season?
Here in New Zealand when veggies go out of season, you either need to take a second mortgage to pay for them, or they are just straight up not available. Seeing as i’m also budget conscious I’ve adapted to do without certain veggies when they are out of season:
Zucchini – replace with another ¼ of a cauliflower.
Tomatoes – replace with another ½ cup tomato passata / puree.
If you would like a delicious gluten, dairy, soy, egg, nut, yeast, grain and coconut free (instant!) naan bread recipe to go with this, you can find that here.
I love to hear when you make my recipes, don’t forget to tag me on Facebook and Instagram.
Butter Chicken – Dairy Free, Coconut Free
Ingredients
The Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Garam masala
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Ginger
- 2 teaspoons Turmeric
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
The sauce
- ¼ large cauliflower or 1/2 a large
- 2 small carrots or one large
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 red capsicum
- 1 small onion
- 3 large cloves garlic (about 2 Tablespoons)
- 3 mushrooms
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 cup water or broth
- ½ cup tomato passata or purée
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 500 – 700 g boneless chicken breast or thigh.
- Chilli to taste
Instructions
- Measure out all your spices into a small bowl and set aside. Half will go in your sauce and the other half will coat the chicken.
- Cut up the veg into rough pieces, the carrot needs to be the smallest as that takes the longest to cook. Add them to a pot with a swig of olive oil and gently sauté. Add Half of the spice mix and sauté for a few minutes until everything is coated and it smells fragrant. Add the water / stock and cover for ten minutes or until all the veggies are cooked through. (See notes for pressure cooker instructions).
- While it's cooking, cut up the chicken into 1cm slices, all of similar size and coat with the remaining spice mix. Set aside to marinate, until the sauce is done.
- When the veggies are cooked add them with the cooking water to a blender. Make sure you leave the top open where you would feed things into for the steam to escape or the hot pressure might build up and you will be cleaning butter chicken off your walls! I usually cover the top with a tea towel as I'm blending so none escapes. Blend it all together until the sauce is thick and smooth. Add the tomato passata / purée & lemon juice and mix through. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. If it seems quite sharp or bitter, it may need more salt.
- Now you can either put the sauce aside in the fridge and let the chicken marinate further until dinner time (I usually prepare the sauce earlier and then cook the chicken in the sauce at dinner time). Or you can add the sauce back to the pot, gently heat and add your chicken to cook in the sauce. It’s a thick mixture and sometimes thick molten bubbles can erupt from your pot, I tend to cover the pot and keep the heat low, so I don’t have molten butter chicken bubbles erupt in my face! Check every five mins and remove from the heat when the chicken is all cooked through.
- Serve with your choice of rice (basmati, jasmine, white, brown, cauliflower) and if you have more time (said no Mum, ever 😆) you can make my naan bread to go with them. I add chilli oil or flakes / powder to the adult dishes after serving and leave mild for the kids. We dont want to risk any complaints at this point!
- Now watch your family inhale their invisible veggies and ask for seconds!
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