Butter Chickpeas
Butter chicken, a classic and beloved Indian dish, was my gateway dish into loving Indian food. Butter Chickpeas is my vegetarian twist on the classic dish. I use chickpeas in place of chicken as the protein and cashew cream to keep things a tad bit lighter. Served with rice and warm naan bread, Butter Chickpeas are the perfect winter comfort food.
Table of Contents
- Butter Chickpea Ingredients
- Spice Guide
- Step One—Marinade the Chickpeas
- Step Two—Make the Cashew Cream
- Step Three—Sauté the Aromatics
- Step Four—Add the Marinated Chickpeas
- Step Five—Stir in the Passata and Cashew Cream and Simmer
- Step Six—Add the Butter
- Step Seven—Serve and Enjoy!
- More Cozy Soups and Stews
Butter Chickpea Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1/2 cup plain, full-fat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1/2 to 2 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 large onion
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 19 oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups passata
- 1 cup cashew cream
- 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
- 1/4 cup salted butter
Cashew Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
See the recipe notes for ingredient substitutions.
Spice Guide
In the recipe, I give the option of adding 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper so you can adjust the recipe to your desired spice level. If you aren’t sure how much spice you can tolerate, start low and add more cayenne as needed. Generally speaking:
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne: mild
- 1 teaspoon cayenne: medium
- 1½ teaspoon cayenne: hot
- 2 teaspoons cayenne: extra hot
Step One—Marinade the Chickpeas
Just like butter chicken, Butter Chickpeas starts with marinating the protein—in this case the chickpeas—in a marinade of thick yogurt and spices. Typically, the protein would marinate overnight, but to speed up the process, the chickpeas will sit in the marinade for about 10 minutes while we prepare the rest of the ingredients and start the sauce.
Measure the yogurt into a large mixing bowl. Add the spices and sea salt, then whisk until combined. Pour the drained and rinsed chickpeas into the bowl, folding the chickpeas into the yogurt marinade until they are completely coated. Set the chickpeas aside while you start the sauce.
Step Two—Make the Cashew Cream
In this recipe I use a cashew cream in place of a dairy cream to lighten the sauce up a bit. Blending equal parts raw cashews and water produces a thick and luxurious cream that fills the place of dairy cream beautifully.
Make the cashew cream. Combine the raw cashews and 1 cup of water in a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth.
Step Three—Sauté the Aromatics
Peel and thinly slice the onion, and mince the ginger and garlic. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the coconut oil, pushing it around with a wooden spoon to coat the bottom of the pot. When the oil is shimmering, add the sliced onions. Cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot, then cook for a further two minutes.
Step Four—Add the Marinated Chickpeas
Add the marinated chickpeas to the pot, making sure to scrape as much of the marinade out of the bowl as you can. Stir well and cook for a further two minutes.
Step Five—Stir in the Passata and Cashew Cream and Simmer
Pour in the passata and cashew cream, stirring to combine, then stir the coconut sugar into the sauce. Bring the butter chickpeas to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Stirring often to avoid burning. If your sauce feels too thick, you can add a bit of water to loosen it.
Step Six—Add the Butter
Add the salted butter into the pot with the sauce and stir until it has melted and is fully incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your desire. If you want a spicier sauce, add more cayenne pepper, increasing the amount in 1/2 teaspoon intervals.
Step Seven—Serve and Enjoy!
Serve the butter chickpeas with rice, warm naan bread, and fresh cilantro.
Leftover Butter Chickpeas will keep for up to a week stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
More Cozy Soups and Stews
If you loved my Butter Chickpea recipe, be sure to check out these other cozy soups and stews:
Tomato and Lentil Stew with Harissa
Curried Sweet Potato and Celeriac Soup
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! I love to see what you all are making.
Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews below. I love to hear from you!
Butter Chickpeas
Equipment
- High speed blender
Ingredients
Butter Chickpeas
- 1/2 cup plain, full-fat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 - 2 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 19 oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 large onion
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 cups passata
- 1 cup cashew cream recipe follows
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup salted butter
Cashew Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Measure the yogurt into a large mixing bowl. Add the spices and sea salt, then whisk until combined. Pour the drained and rinsed chickpeas into the bowl, folding the chickpeas into the yogurt marinade until they are completely coated. Set the chickpeas aside while you start the sauce.
- Make the cashew cream. Combine the raw cashews and 1 cup of water in a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Peel and thinly slice the onion, and mince the ginger and garlic.
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the coconut oil, pushing it around with a wooden spoon to coat the bottom of the pot. When the oil is shimmering, add the sliced onions. Cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic, then cook for a further two minutes.
- Add the marinated chickpeas to the pot, making sure to scrape as much of the marinade out of the bowl as you can. Stir well and cook for a further two minutes.
- Pour in the passata and cashew cream, stirring to combine, then stir the coconut sugar into the sauce. Bring the butter chickpeas to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Stirring often to avoid burning. If your sauce feels too thick, you can add a bit of water to loosen it.
- Stir the butter into the butter chickpeas until it has melted and is fully incorporated into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your desire.
- Serve the butter chickpeas with rice, warm naan bread, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
- A note on spice:
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne: mild
- 1 teaspoon cayenne: medium
- 1½ teaspoon cayenne: hot
- 2 teaspoons cayenne: extra hot
- Heavy cream can be used in place of the cashew cream.
- White sugar can be used in place of the coconut sugar
