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Vegan Methi Chicken Curry Recipe (Instant Pot) Soy Curls in Fenugreek Onion Sauce

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This Vegan Curry recipe with soy curls and creamy Fenugreek Onion Sauce makes for an amazing vegan version of Indian Methi Chicken.  Any easy Indian Instant Pot recipe that is gluten-free, nut-free & comes with a soy-free option. Jump to Recipe

side view of a bowl of creamy vegan methi chicken curry topped with chopped cilantro

Who’s in the mood for vegan curries!? This time I’ve veganized an all-time Indian favorite: Fenugreek Chicken aka. Methi Chicken – a hearty spicy Indian curry with the amazing flavor of fenugreek leaves coming through in every bite.

While many vegan versions of chicken curries use chickpeas, potatoes or tofu as a meat substitute, I’m using soy curls.

Soy curls are a plant-based chikin substitute. . They make an amazing carrier for the fragrant creamy onion fenugreek sauce and have such a satisfyingly chewy on-the-point texture. You can use seitan, other meat subs, or chickpeas or baked tofu/veggies.

This vegan soy curl curry is so full of flavor and is seriously very easy to make either in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop.

overhead shot of a bowl of vegan methi chicken with some naan bread on the side

Ingredients used for making this Vegan Methi Chicken Curry recipe :

  • Methi/fenugreek leaves: Dried fenugreek (kasoori methi) is available in Indian stores and online on amazon. Definitely get some, I use it in many recipes and I am sure you will enjoy its unique taste. Fenugreek has an amazing flavor profile, bitter but pleasing with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor often described as a cross between celery and maple. You can use ground mustard + celery seeds as a substitute when used in small quantities.
  • Non-dairy milk makes this Instant Pot dish rich and creamy. Cashew milk or any other plant-based milk works here. A thicker non dairy milk will give a creamy , rich gravy. You could also use unsweetened soy or oat cream.
  • Non-dairy yogurt for extra tang, lusciousness, and creaminess. You could also use coconut cream.
  • Soy curls made from non-GMO soybeans are a textured soy product that closely resembles the texture and mouthfeel of meat. A relatively new and wonderful way to bump up the plant-based protein of all your favorite curries and stews.  No need to rehydrate them for this recipe.
  • Whole and ground dried spices: cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and other warming ground spices such as coriander, turmeric, garam masala and cumin for that signature Indian flavor.
  • Fresh seasonings: fresh ginger and green chili for some heat.

Tips and substitutions:

  • To make this vegan curry recipe soy-free, you could use seitan, jackfruit or a can of beans or chickpeas.
  • You can stir in some coconut oil or vegan butter with the non-dairy milk to make this vegan curry taste even more like a restaurant-style dish.
  • For an oil-free version, cook the onion in broth instead of oil.
  • To take this Indian Instant Pot curry to the next level, serve it topped with some chopped cilantro, crushed red pepper flakes and freshly cut wedges of lime for some zing. Serve with rice, naan or any other flatbread.

How to make this Vegan Methi Chicken Curry recipe – Step by Step:

overhead shot of ingredients needed for making Instant Pot vegan methi chicken curry recipe

Prepare your ingredients: Have the whole and ground spices ready and mince the onions and garlic.

minced onions being sauteed in an instant pot to make vegan curry recipe

Start the Instant Pot and set to saute mode. Add oil and wait for it to get hot.

Add whole spices and mix for a few seconds until they get fragrant, then add the minced onions and saute until translucent. You can add the garlic now if you don’t want to blend the garlic with the tomato.

ingredients needed to make spice base paste for vegan fenugreek curry
Blend the tomato, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, and green chili with 3/4 cup water.
Add ground spices and mix in. Add the tomato mixture to the instant pot and mix it in. Switch off the saute mode.

onions, garlic, tomato paste and spices being stirred in an Instant pot to make Vegan curry recipe

Add the dried soy curls, salt, sugar, yogurt and mix in. Close the lid of the instant pot and pressure cook for everything 15 mins.

dairy-free milk being stirred into a vegan fenugreek chicken curry made with soy curls

Now, wait for natural steam release.
vegan methi chicken curry with soy curls in an Instant Pot
Open the lid and add the nondairy milk and bring the curry to a boil on saute mode. Taste the curry and adjust salt and seasoning.
Add garam masala or ground coriander along with the fenugreek leaves and mix to combine. Switch off the saute mode as you don’t want to boil the fenugreek for too long.
vegan creamy fenugreek curry with soy curls being stirred in an instant pot

How to serve this vegan chicken methi curry?

I like this best when served with basmati rice. However, it also tastes amazing with some homemade naan bread. Garnish your vegan soy curl curry with cilantro and pepper flakes and serve with some lime wedges if you want to add some zing.

overhead shot of a bowl of vegan fenugreek chicken curry topped with chopped cilantro

How to reheat this vegan chicken curry?

You can double the recipe if you want to cook a big batch and reheat any leftovers in a pot on the stove or in the microwave the next day.

More Vegan Indian recipes from the blog:

side view of a bowl of vegan Instant Pot chicken curry with soy curls in fenugreek sauce
Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes

Instant Pot Vegan Methi Chicken Curry with Creamy Fenugreek Onion Sauce

This Vegan Curry recipe with soy curls and creamy Fenugreek Onion Sauce makes for an amazing vegan version of Indian Methi Chicken.  Any easy Indian Instant Pot recipe that is gluten-free, nut-free & comes with a soy-free option.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Natural release10 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: vegan chicken curry, vegan Instant pot curry, vegan soy curls recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 181.32kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp oil or use 2 tbsp broth for oil-free
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 green cardamom pods opened
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick (2 inch)
  • 1/2 onion finely chopped
  • 1 (1 to ) tomato
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 inch ginger (1/2 inch cube)
  • 1 hot or mild green chile , I use serrano
  • 3/4 cup (6.61 oz) water
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar or sweetener or more to taste
  • 1.5 cup (183 g) soy curls (dry, not rehydrated)
  • 1/2 cup (122.5 g) Non dairy yogurt
  • 3/4 cup (177.44 ml) non-dairy milk or more to preference , such as almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk, coconut milk or oat milk
  • 3 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
  • garam masala or coriander to taste
  • 1/4 cup (4 g) cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  • Start the Instant Pot on saute mode. Add the oil and wait for it to get hot. Add the whole spices and mix for a few seconds until fragrant, then add the minced onions and saute until translucent. (You can add in the garlic here if you don't want to blend the garlic with the tomato.)
  • Blend the tomato, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, chili with 3/4 cup water.
  • Add ground spices and mix them in. Add tomato mixture to the IP and mix it in. Switch off saute mode.
  • Add the dried soy curls, salt, sugar, dairy-free yogurt and mix in. Close the lid and pressure cook for 15 mins, natural release
  • Open the lid and add the non-dairy milk and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
  • Add garam masala or ground coriander and fenugreek leaves and mix in. Switch off the saute mode at this point as you don't want to boil the fenugreek for too long to not lose the flavor.
  • Serve garnished with cilantro, red pepper flakes, and some freshly cut lime wedges. Tastes best with rice or some naan flatbread.
    Store refrigerated for upto 3 days. Reheat with additional non dairy milk as the sauce will tend to dry out.
  • Saucepan: Blend the tomato, tomato paste, ginger, garlic, chili with 1/4 cup water. Follow steps 1,2,3 in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the tomato mixture until thickened and slightly roasted. (7 to 10 mins).Add the soy curls, non dairy yogurt, salt and sugar and mix in. cook for 3 mins. Add in the non dairy milk and 3/4 cup water and continue too cook until the soy curls are tender.(7 to 10 mins). Add garam masala/ Taste and adjust.

Video

Notes

  • To make this vegan curry recipe soy-free, you could use seitan, jackfruit or a can of beans or chickpeas.
  • You can stir in some coconut oil or vegan butter with the non-dairy milk to make this vegan curry taste even more like a restaurant-style dish.
  • For an oil-free version, cook the onion in broth instead of oil.
To make with veggies or tofu: Pressure cook the sauce without the soy curls till step 4. Add baked tofu or roasted veggies and mix in. Add a bit of non dairy milk based or sauce thickness preference and simmer on saute for 3 to 4 mins 
 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Vegan Methi Chicken Curry with Creamy Fenugreek Onion Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 181.32 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 2.96g5%
Saturated Fat 0.77g5%
Cholesterol 3.98mg1%
Sodium 520.29mg23%
Potassium 218.74mg6%
Carbohydrates 19.4g6%
Fiber 7.83g33%
Sugar 8.53g9%
Protein 19.29g39%
Vitamin A 414.95IU8%
Vitamin C 8.97mg11%
Calcium 235.74mg24%
Iron 4.73mg26%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.


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  4. If you have a regular pressure cooker, can you just just that instead of an instant pot? Thanks for a recipe with soy curls as they often baffle me.

    Reply

  5. I only have Fenugreek seeds, can I use them instead or are they totally different? I want to make this, sounds delicious!
    Thank you!

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    I made this today, and we loved it. I had ordered and used the Methi leaves and not the ground fenugreek that I had. Thank you for answering my question.
    The only thing I did differently, I used a small can of tomatoes with chilies instead of 1 Tomato. I will try it the next time though.
    Very good indeed! 🙂
    I also have your Indian Kitchen cookbook and will make a lot from it. I love all those spices!

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    I just made this for dinner! It’s so delicious! Love the combination of spices. The dish has a rich, complex flavor. The cilantro on top is a perfect compliment. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers! <3

    Reply

  9. I usually don’t post about recipes I haven’t tried, but I know I will be trying this one, and if it’s half as good as your butterless chickenless butter chicken I will love it. I am so grateful for your site, and the obvious hard work you put into it. There are a couple of vegan cooking sites I follow closely, but if I were going to recommend just one, yours is it — hands down.

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    this is sooooo good. I just love the flavors (which are lingering in my mouth as I type this). I used the stovetop method as I am sans IP. A fabulous recipe! Thank you Richa!

    Reply

  12. I just sent your Every Day cookbook and your Indian cookbook to my sisters in Minnesota (I already own them). They like curry and are trying to eat less meat and dairy. I hope to make vegans out of them!

    Is this a recipe in which I could substitute the ground mustard and celery seeds for the fenugreek? I can’t eat fenugreek because it is related to peanuts and gives me a similar allergic reaction. Are the celery seeds ground also? Would I use 3 tsp of the two combined (not 3 of each, I assume)?

    Reply

  13. Quick question.

    How much dried spice would you sub for the whole spices? Such as the cardamom pods, clove and cinnamon sticks.

    Also, very excited to try this recipe out. I bought dried Fenugreek specifically for it!

    Reply

  16. 5 stars
    Amazing recipe, Richa! I made this with canned chickpeas and pressure cooked for 5 mins. Amazing flavor!! Thanks so much! I love your website and have both your cookbooks! I’ve also gifted your books to my friends. Any plans for a 3rd? 🙂

    Reply

    • Thank you Maneesha! I am writing on on instant pot. its delayed now with all the unceretainty. Testing recipes is harder with limited resources. But hopefully things will be on track to get done by end of year then editing and all that.

      Reply

      • I’m THRILLED to hear you’re working on an Instant Pot book! I hope this is still in the works. Your other two books are my hands-down favorites — I’ve never been so excited about cooking! — and this third book will fill a serious void in my collection. All of the time and energy you put into your recipes, blog, and books is very appreciated and helps to make this world a better place. Thank you!

        Reply

        • wow Lori, I can’t thank you enough for your support!!! Your enthusiasm is infectious! I love it. I’m so pleased

          Reply

  17. Can’t wait to make this! I found soy curls at a Natural Grocers store for about half the price they would have been from Amazon. Already have. the kasoori methi and the other Indian spices so will probably make this (stovetop) this weekend. Diabetes has flared up again so will probably be eating it with cauliflower rice; know that you have some good-looking recipes for it. Thanks for everything!

    Reply

  18. 5 stars
    Hi Richa,
    Could you tell me, please, how much do the timings change if instead of an instant pot I use a pressure cooker? Thank you!

    Reply

  19. Hi Richa! I am really looking forward to making this on Sunday evening. I hope you can help me clear up two things:

    1. The recipe calls for 1 and 1/2 cups or 354 g of dry soy curls. These don’t seem to be equivalent. A whole bag of Butler Soy Curls is 227 g before being rehydrated. 1 and 1/2 cups appears to be less than a whole bag. Which quantity should I use?

    2. I am planning to cook this dish in a regular pot. May I confirm that I should be adding the soy curls dry and not rehydrating them? I don’t have much experience cooking with soy curls as I only brought a few bags home with me after a trip to the U.S., so any advice would be appreciated.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Ponnington! You will need more than one bag as 1.5 cups is 354g. it’s 1.5 cups dry and yes, you just add them in dry without rehydrating them as they will become hydrated during the cooking process.

      Reply

      • Hi Richa, thanks for all these wonderful recipes! I agree with Ponnington’s comment above. I too was confused about the 1.5 cups, as that’s definitely not 354 g of soy curls. Even in your butter ‘chicken’ recipe with soy curls you’ve listed 1 c of soy curls as 55 g (which is about right for me).

        Anyway, just wanted to point that out as it may be worth modifying (if people don’t scroll down to the comments).

        Take care!

        Reply

  20. 5 stars
    This is a real winner Richa! Such a delicious sauce. This was my first time using soy curls. What a great introduction to them! Thanks for an awesome dinner tonight 😊

    Reply

  21. 5 stars
    Seriously amazing recipe with depth and character. The variation of spices creates a unique flavor. I bought Fenugreek seeds not the Fenugreek leaves and did NOT use them, because I did a quick research on using seeds in place of the leaves and it would have been a mistake. Instead the internet said that Maple Syrup has a similar molecular compound so I used a tiny bit of that instead. I couldn’t find Fenugreek leaves at the market that’s why the change. I added about 1/2 tsp of garem masala not coriander. I added some Kosher salt to taste after it was made and that really made a difference. Also, I had never used Soy Curls before and never used an Insta-Pot for sautéing so that was fun and it worked out really well. Thank you Richa for an incredible recipe. My husband who is mostly and newly vegan really liked this dish too. Looking forward to making other meals with soy curls. BTW: for the person who posted re: the tomato…I used 2 Tomatoes and that I believe was the correct amount of tomato to use. Hope that helps.

    Reply

    • I should clarify …re: the tomato. I doubled this recipe that’s why I used 2 tomatoes and 1/2 tsp garam masala. If I was making the original recipe it would have been one tomato instead. Hope this helps to clarify

      Reply

  22. 5 stars
    This is such a delicious dish! I had never heard of soy curls until I tried this and they’re tasty and filling. We don’t miss roti at all. I have shared the Vegan Richa website with many friends. I appreciate all the hard work you do on each recipe, especially vegan Indian cuisine as well as a variety of desserts.

    Reply

  23. 5 stars
    We enjoyed this dish a lot. I did not use my IP because I opted to serve the Soy Curls over quinoa, so I used our IP to make the quinoa, and made the sauce on the stove. I didn’t cook the Soy Curls in the sauce as directed, though. I don’t care for the soft mushy texture of Soy Curls after they’ve rehydrated and cooked in sauces. Instead, I rehydrated them in Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Broth, and then baked them for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring half way through. This gives the Soy Curls a more chewy texture, which we prefer. I put the Soy Curls on top of the quinoa, and then ladled the sauce over the top.

    Question: How do you remove the cloves (along with the bay leaves and cinnamon stick) before serving? I couldn’t easily see the cloves to remove them, so I had a couple of bites where I bit down on a clove, and that was all I could taste, which was off putting.

    Reply

    • awesome! thanks for the rating and the info! You could grind them in a coffee grinder or use a
      ‘bouquet garni’ tie them in a pouch of cheesecloth tied with kitchen twine

      Reply

  24. 5 stars
    This was so delicious and our 9 and 10 year old loved it (they’re also big fans of Vegan Richa’s eggplant baignan and butter soy curls). We left out the chili for them but everything else was made as called for and it was incredible! We did get a burn notification on our instant pot and had to add more water, but once we did and scraped the bottom it was fine. Will absolutely be making this again! We used Forager cashew brand yogurt, unsweetened plain.

    Reply

  25. Hi Richa, I love your recipes and so looking forward to your Instant Pot Book.
    I don’t use soya and would be grateful if you could tell me please if I am using the alternatives you mention, ie tinned Jackfruit or Seitan would I add it at the same time as you add soya curls or after cooking the sauce.
    Many thanks

    Reply
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