Vegan Butter Chicken Lasagna Bake – an easy Indian Italian Fusion recipe the whole family will love! This easy vegan lasagna bake is made in one pan with simple pantry ingredients. Can be made in the skillet, too.
Butter Chicken – one of those classic Indian restaurant recipes known and loved all around the world, mostly for the rich and buttery sauce. I veganized this classic Indian recipe in my first book and blog Vegan Butter Chicken and here and added a modern touch by turning it into Lasagna. You can never go wrong with Indian Italian Fusion Recipes. Comfort meets spice – what’s not to love. My entire family loves this easy vegan pasta recipe and I am pretty sure so will yours.
Remember my Vegan Butter Chicken? My vegan spin on the Indian restaurant classic was such a win with you guys. While my Vegan Butter Chicken is made with soy curls and chickpeas, this vegan lasagna bake uses baked mushrooms as a meat substitute. Amazing for those of you who are not into soy. You can add in some soy curls for the chicken texture.
I made this lasagna the classic way, in a casserole dish but below, I included instructions for preparing this dish in a skillet.
MORE VEGAN PASTA RECIPES:
- Cauliflower Alfredo Spinach Artichoke Lasagna.
- Creamy Vegan Cajun Pasta
- Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake
- Vegan Mushroom Fettucine Alfredo
- Cajun Cauliflower Pasta
- Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom Spinach Pasta
Vegan Butter Chicken Lasagna Bake
Ingredients
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 hot green chili such as serrano finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 tsp cayenne or indian red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
- 2 cups (192 g) chopped mushrooms or about 4-5 oz. You can also use soy curls here, see notes for details
For the Sauce:
- 16 oz can (455 g) tomato puree (also can be called tomato sauce, use unseasoned)
- 14 oz can (395 ml) coconut milk or 1 1/4 cup cashew milk
- 1 cup (250) water or broth
- 7-8 regular lasagna sheets or 9-10 no boil lasagna sheets
- 1/2 tsp salt
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a 9x12 or similar size baking dish, add the oil and spread all over. Add in the onion, garlic, chili on one side, and sprinkle the spices on, and a good dash of salt and mix well.
- Add the mushrooms on the other side of the baking dish, add a dash of salt, and toss well to coat with the oil, and even it out. If either the mushrooms or onions are not coated enough, add a few sprinkles of water and mix so the spices and oil are evenly distributed
- Put the baking dish in the oven at 400 degrees F (205 c) for 15 minutes, or until the onion and mushrooms are golden.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven, then add in the tomato puree, coconut milk/cashew milk, salt, water, and mix well. Then break your lasagna sheets, and distribute all over so they aren't clumped up together.
- Put the dish back in the oven, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cover the dish with parchment after 20 mins, so the sauce doesn't burn on the edges.
- Check if your lasagna sheets are done, then remove the dish from the oven. Garnish with some vegan cheese shreds if you like. They'll melt with the heat from the dish. Then add some cilantro and serve.
- Make it in a skillet:Pour oil into a skillet over medium heat, and add the onion, garlic, green chili, and spices and mix well. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.Add in the mushroom, and toss well. Sprinkle in a good pinch of salt, and continue to cook until mushrooms are golden on some edges. This will take a while on the skillet, about 10-12 minutes.Add in the tomato puree, coconut milk, water, and salt, and mix well. Toss in your lasagna sheets, or pasta, and mix well so that they're not clumped up together, and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked to preference. Garnish and serve
Video
Notes
- You can also make this with pasta. Use 2 cups of dried pasta such as farfalle, and mix in and bake.
- this is a saucy lasagna. Add 1-2 more lasagna sheets for less saucy, esp if not using Soycurls.
- To add some soy curls, soak 2-3 oz of soy curls in vegetable broth, then squeeze a bit to remove some excess broth, and add to the baking dish along with the onions. You can add some mushrooms with it, or use soy curls instead of the mushrooms, and bake. The soy curls will get golden, and then you can continue with the step of adding the tomato puree, and so on.
Nutrition
Ingredients for making vegan butter chicken lasagna:
- lasagna sheets – they can be gluten-free. If you use no-boil the dish will be cooked quicker.
- we bake mushrooms in the oven to extract some of the water and get that meaty texture.
- just like traditional butter chicken, this dish starts with sliced onions, garlic, and chili to get that umami going.
- Butter chicken spices like chili, coriander, cumin, cardamom, pepper and fenugreek are being tempered in oil along with the onion and garlic, adding that Indian twist
- for that lip-smacking good butter chicken cream sauce, we add tomato puree and coconut milk along with some broth
Tips & Substitutions:
- You can also make this lasagna with pasta. Use 2 cups of dried pasta such as farfalle, and mix in and bake.
- To add some soy curls, soak 3-4 oz of soy curls in vegetable broth, then squeeze a bit and add to the baking dish along with the onions. You can add some mushrooms with it, or use soy curls instead of the mushrooms, and bake. The soy curls will get golden, and then you can continue with the step of adding the tomato puree, and so on.
How to make Vegan Butter Chicken Lasagna:
In a 9×12 or similar size baking dish, add the oil and spread all over. Add in the onion, garlic, chili on one side, and sprinkle the spices on, and a good dash of salt and mix well. Add the mushrooms on the other side of the baking dish, add a dash of salt, and toss well to coat with the oil, and even it out.
Put the baking dish in the oven at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until the onion and mushrooms are golden.
Remove the baking dish from the oven, then add in the tomato puree, coconut milk, salt, water, and mix well. Then break up your lasagna sheets, and distribute them all over so they aren’t clumped up together.
Put the dish back in the oven, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cover the dish with parchment halfway through, so the sauce doesn’t burn on the edges.
Check if your lasagna sheets are done, then remove the dish from the oven. Garnish with some vegan cheese shreds if you like. They’ll melt with the heat from the dish. Then add some cilantro and serve.
Make it a butter chicken skillet lasagna:
Pour oil into a skillet over medium heat, and add the onion, garlic, green chili, and spices and mix well. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
Add in the mushroom, and toss well. Sprinkle in a good pinch of salt, and continue to cook until mushrooms are golden on some edges. This will take a while on the skillet, about 10-12 minutes.
Add in the tomato puree, coconut milk, water, and salt, and mix well. Toss in your lasagna sheets, or pasta, and mix well so that they’re not clumped up together, and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked to preference. Garnish and serve.
Ingrid
I made this twice now. The second time I chopped the mushrooms smaller and added curl crumps (leftovers from the big bag). That was perfect, we loved it. This will be in our meal rotation from now on. I also made it in a skillet. Thank you, Richa, for that great recipe! 🙂
Vegan Richa Support
crumps. haha
Shawna
I made this on the stove top with pasta… Perfect ice-storm comfort food… Your recipes never disappoint! Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
great to hear, nice comfort dish for a storm
Jess
This recipe is amazing. Have made several times! Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
glad you liked it so much =)
Brea
Family loved this 🙂 Thank You. I did not have mushrooms on hand tonight – used chopped up Daring plant based pieces in place of which worked well.
Vegan Richa Support
nice
Shauna
Absolutely amazing 🤤. My 9 year old and I gobbled it up. Next time I will try making a separate one without cayenne and the hot pepper so my daughter and boyfriend can enjoy as well…neither of them like spicy foods, but feel they would love it without those.
Vegan Richa Support
good idea !
Chrissy
Delicious! Thank you! My husband decided to follow a vegan diet two years ago for health reasons. Your recipes were some of the first we tried and LOVED! You made vegan recipes so great and easy to follow. I have two kiddos in elementary school and they love your recipes as well!
Vegan Richa Support
perfect, thank you Chrissy
Alex
hello, your article is amazing. I can find what I am looking for in detail, thank you for your hard work.
Vegan Richa Support
great to hear
Jenny
AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!! The whole family went back for seconds. WOW!!! I used soy curls because I didn’t want to go to the store for mushrooms. This recipe is now on my list of FAVORITE ALL TIME DINNERS!!!
Richa
Awesome!!
Emily
This was an amazing dinner. I’ll def add some soycurls or seitan to make this more hearty next time
Richa
Thanks
Nathalie
Fabulous recipe with TONS of flavor!! I doubled the amount of tomato purée given that I was using soy curls and mushrooms.
Vegan Richa Support
thank you, trust your instincts!
Pauline
Made this tonight and it was ok. I used both mushrooms and some Seitan (didn’t have soy curls) which added texture. I also stirred through some spinach at the end. Very simple to make.
Vegan Richa Support
Maybe add more spices! I use pretty fresh and potent spices
SR
Delicious recipe! I had to skip the onions because I didn’t have any at home, but it still tasted amazing!
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome!! Do leave a rating too!
Erin
Love this recipe, fast and easy to make, made it with soy curls, my non vegan son’s ate it up and asked for seconds
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome! Please do add a rating when you make again!
Mantej
Made it exactly as described. Flavours are wonderful, I will add more kick next time but was much too liquid. What did I do wrong?I used 10 no bake noodles. I actually followed the recipe, lol, which is unusual for me. It ended up more like your lasagna soup recipe!
Richa
It’s is a saucy lasagna. A lot of the liquid gets absorbed as it sits so I kept it quite saucy. Just add more noodles. Add more spices and heat to preference!
Robert
Thank you for this new vegan butter chicken recipe. I Will, be trying out this on Sunday.
Vegan Richa Support
let me know how it turns out for you
Jovana
You’re my go-to-gal for flavourful, rich meals that really hit the spot and this one was no exception! My kiddo hates mushrooms, so I subbed peas for the baking process and then just added a tin of chickpeas in when I added the sauce.
Hubby and kiddo (6) both LURVED it. It was also such an easy cleanup for the meal, so definitely going to make this one again!
Gotta try your French onion lasagna as well… I’m sure that’s super delicious too!
Thanks Richa!
Vegan Richa Support
nice veggie swap –
❤️❤️
Jenni
My family can’t do spicy. Do you think it would be just as good to omit the serrano or pepper?
Vegan Richa Support
Absolutely !
Becky
Amazing flavor!!! I made this with the soy curls (and also the mushrooms), and I can’t imagine it without them. What a wonderful recipe — hard to describe, but it’s everything I like in a dinner!
Richa
Awesome
Christie Asimos
Does this make and ahead an freeze well?
Vegan Richa Support
yes but I wouldn’t cook it all the way – I would freeze it before baking again at Step 5. (finish Step 4 and then freeze tightly wrapped..)
Shelly
Really delicious recipe! Everyone loved it, and couldn’t tell it was vegan.
Vegan Richa Support
nice surprise
Leah
Hello! I’m so excited to make this! Can you freeze it? I wanted to make for a friend who is about to have a baby. Thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
yay!! I would freeze it before baking again at Step 5. (finish Step 4 and then freeze tightly wrapped..)
Jenn Keohane
Incredible! I cook all the time and this was one of the tastiest, more satisfying recipes I’ve made in years! My hubby loved it too. Delicious!
Richa
Yay!!
Rachel
I made this tonight. Easy and so so so good!!!
Richa
❤️❤️❤️
Karen
Thank you for another amazing recipe! It was such a huge hit for dinner tonight.
I couldn’t find vegan fresh lasagna sheets so I used the dry no-boil lasagna noodles and it worked perfectly. I was a little worried that it was too liquid-y when I pulled it out of the oven to cover the dish with foil but it was perfect once finished baking. Just added some cilantro garnish and perfection! My husband is already asking if we can have this again next week. Thanks again Richa!
Richa
Awesome!!
The Book of Food
What a good idea ! Thank you. 🙂
Carolyn Barnett
Richa,
I opened up my email late this afternoon (5-24-21) and found your Vegan Butter Chicken Bake recipe and I realized I had all the components for this dish but would have to substitute the serrano chili for a jalapeno. Into the kitchen I went and this was in the oven by 5:00 PM with the most wonderful smell coming from the oven… By 5:50 it was being served! This was just fabulous and my main reason for commenting is that my non-vegan husband ( who refuses to eat anything coming from the earth) had two servings and my daughter who is fighting cancer and never has an appetite also had two serving!!! Everyone in my family loved the flavor profiles!!! Thank you for dinner, we loved it!!! I think, now that I have made your recipe as is, I would stay with using the jalapeno as this was just spicy enough for our family and as I did not use soy curls I will double the mushrooms. For anyone reading this I would strongly recommend you don’t pass up this recipe and I would also recommend a warm slice of sourdough bread to sop up all the sauce! Thank you!
Richa
That’s amazing! Thank you for this wonderful note!
Danielle
Your no-butter no-chicken butter chicken is one of my favorite recipes! I’m sure I will love this one too. Thank you so much for sharing all these AWESOME recipes. You are my favorite food blogger. <3
Richa
❤️❤️❤️
Shan
Super easy!
Made this with wholemeal lasagna sheets and turned out delicious. (My partner loved it too)
The best part was having so little to cleanup 😉
Thanks.
Richa
Awesome!!
Beth
did you add any cheese?
Richa
I added some cheese on top, but it’s not necessary
Bianca Harleston
That sounds AMAZING!! Will be trying out very soon 🙂
Richa
❤️❤️