Butter Chickpeas – 8 Ingredients, 30 Minutes

Name: Butter Chickpeas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 oz canned tomato puree (Or unseasoned tomato sauce); 14 oz full-fat coconut milk (or use 1.5 cups cashew milk(1/3 cup cashews blended with 1.25 cups water) ); 15 oz chickpeas (can drained or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas); 2 teaspoons garam masala; 1/2 teaspoon paprika (or cayenne or Indian red chili powder or both ); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder ( or 2 teaspoons minced ginger and garlic or ginger-garlic paste); 2 bay leaves, optional; 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, (Kasoori Methi); 2 tablespoons non dairy cream, cashew cream or non dairy yogurt; cilantro, sliced green chilies and lime for garnish

Published: Sep 19, 2023 by Richa 36 Comments

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This is an 8-ingredient, 30-minute 1 Pan dump-and-done Indian butter chickpeas recipe. It’s packed with butter chicken sauce flavor, uses tender chickpeas as the protein instead of chicken. No sautéing! Just add to pot, simmer and done. Glutenfree Soyfree Nutfree

butter chickpeas in the skillet topped with cilantro

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love Butter Chickpeas
More Vegan Butter Chicken Sauce Recipes
Recipe Card
Ingredients and Substitutions
Tips
How to Make One-Pot Butter Chickpeas
Frequently Asked Questions

Murgh makhani, aka butter chicken, is a popular curry in a creamy tomato sauce. Traditionally, the sauce is made using cream and butter for creaminess, but in this vegan version, coconut milk is doing that work.

The resulting dish, with toothsome chickpeas in a spiced creamy tomato sauce, is just as decadent and satisfying without any animal products.

This version is super simple. It uses just 1 pan, no sautéeing step, just add everything to the pan and simmer! A few ingredients, chickpeas, tomato purée, some spices, coconut milk and garlic.

You can use other beans if you don’t like chickpeas, like white beans or kidney beans, or seitan or soycurls even crisped-up baked tofu. It’s all about that sauce!

For a baked version of the sauce, try my baked tofu makhani, for a complex flavored sauce try my whole roasted cauliflower with butter sauce, for a large batch instant pot butter sauce, see my cookbook!

white bowl of butter chickpeas over rice with cilantro on top next to the skillet

Why You’ll Love Butter Chickpeas

rich, spiced tomato curry sauce with hearty chickpeas
easy, 30-minute, one-pot meal
only 8 ingredients, not counting salt and sugar
dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free

close-up of a bowl of butter chickpeas over rice with cilantro on top

More Vegan Butter Chicken Sauce Recipes

Recipe Card

Print Recipe

5 from 24 votes

Butter Chickpeas

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Main

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: butter chickpeas

Servings: 4

Calories: 424kcal

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

8 oz (226.8 ml) canned tomato puree Or unseasoned tomato sauce
14 oz (396.89 ml) full-fat coconut milk or use 1.5 cups cashew milk(1/3 cup cashews blended with 1.25 cups water)
15 oz (425.24 g) chickpeas can drained or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika or cayenne or Indian red chili powder or both
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 teaspoons minced ginger and garlic or ginger-garlic paste
2 bay leaves, optional
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, Kasoori Methi
2 tablespoons non dairy cream, cashew cream or non dairy yogurt , optional, for extra creamy sauce and 2 tsp more for garnish drizzle
cilantro, sliced green chilies and lime for garnish

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, add all the ingredients and mix really well. Bring to a boil. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. You can add more garam masala if you like or some ground cumin and ground coriander for additional flavor.
Continue to cook for another 5-8 minutes to thicken and switch off the heat.
If the sauce is not thickening enough you can add 2 teaspoons of flour mixed with 2 tablespoons of water or 1 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water (for gluten-free) and mix it in while it’s still boiling. This will help the sauce thicken faster.
The sauce will thicken more as it cools so you don’t want it too thick while it’s hot.
Serve the butter chickpeas garnished with cilantro, lemon juice, and sliced green chilies or with rice or quinoa or flatbread, or naan. You can also add a garnish of non dairy cream.

Notes

Butter chickpeas are naturally gluten-free, nut-free, Oilfree and soy-free.

Lower fat: Use non dairy milk of choice and 1/4 cup non dairy yogurt or cashew cream. For additional thickening, mix in the flour as mentioned in instructions.

Additions: Saute 1/2 onion chopped and 2 cloves chopped garlic for 4-5 mins then add sauce ingredients. Add in more heat as needed.

Protein subs: Use other beans such as white beans or kidney beans. Add roasted veggies. Add 10 oz seitan, or add 4 oz soycurls that have been soaked in broth then drained and crisped on a skillet for 4-5 mins. Add 12 oz tofu: Press and cube or tear into bite size pieces. Then toss in garlic powder, garam masala and salt. Then bake or pan fry and then add to sauce.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Butter Chickpeas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 424 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Sodium 331mg14%

Potassium 832mg24%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 12g50%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 13g26%

Vitamin A 444IU9%

Vitamin C 11mg13%

Calcium 90mg9%

Iron 6mg33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

tomato, chickpeas, coconut milk, and spices in cans and bowls on the kitchen counter

Ingredients and Substitutions

canned tomato puree – This is the base for the vegan butter chicken sauce.
coconut milk – The fat in full-fat coconut milk is replacing the butter that usually gives butter chicken sauce its silky creaminess, so please do opt for full-fat, not light. This is coconut milk that comes canned, not the boxed kind for drinking.
chickpeas – Use cooked or canned chickpeas, drained. You can also use other beans or even cooked tofu instead, if you prefer.
spices – Garam masala, paprika, salt, sugar, garlic powder, bay leaves, and fenugreek pack these butter chickpeas with so much FLAVOR! You can use cayenne or Indian red chili powder instead of the paprika. In place of the garlic powder, you can add even more flavor by using minced, fresh ginger and garlic or ginger-garlic paste.

Tips

Don’t worry if the sauce doesn’t completely reach the thickness you want while it’s simmering. It will thicken as it cools.
That said, if it’s seeming way too thin, you can thicken with flour or cornstarch mixed with a little bit of water.
Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking as the sauce simmers!

How to Make One-Pot Butter Chickpeas

In a large skillet over medium heat, add all the ingredients, and mix really well.

adding coconut milk to the skillet with the tomato puree

adding salt, sugar, and spices to the skillet with the coconut milk and tomato

chickpeas in the skillet with the vegan butter chicken sauce ingredients

Bring to a boil, then taste and adjust salt and flavor. You can add more garam masala if you like or some ground cumin and coriander for additional flavor.

sauce ingredients and chickpeas all mixed together before simmering

Continue to cook for another five to eight minutes to thicken and switch off the heat.

butter chickpeas in the pan, after cooking

If the sauce is not thickening enough you can add two teaspoons of flour mixed with two tablespoons of water or a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of water and mix it in while it’s still boiling. This will help the sauce thicken faster.

Serve the butter chickpeas garnished with cilantro, lemon juice, and sliced green chilies or with rice or quinoa or flatbread, or naan.

white bowl of butter chickpeas over rice with cilantro on top

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this recipe allergy friendly?

Butter chickpeas are naturally gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free.

What is butter chicken sauce made from?

Typically, butter chicken sauce is made from tomato, butter, cream and/or yogurt, and spices. In this vegan version, we are making the butter chicken curry sauce with coconut milk instead of the butter and cream. You get the same creaminess without any dairy!