Butter Chickpeas is a vegetarian version of the classic Butter Chicken. An easy, loaded with flavor, butter chickpea curry will rival any butter chicken that you have ever tasted!!! A must try recipe!

Butter Chickpeas
In simpler terms, it is butter chicken made with chickpeas instead of chicken. Clever, right? (A humble brag😊). It tastes exactly like butter chicken but made vegetarian like in several canned chickpeas recipes. You need to taste to believe. Serve it as a Mother's day dinner recipe.
This is one of those recipes that you actually can make on a whim. There is no defrosting meat or chicken. There is no running to the grocery store for fresh veggies. All you just have to do is grab some cans from the pantry, add a few other staple ingredients and you have an actually delicious Lent dinner idea in under an hour.
Remember the butter chicken pasta or this Shrimp with Indian Butter Sauce that I shared few days ago? We have come up with another creative twist to the all time favorite butter chicken.
Is this Chana Masala?
Chana masala, also called chole masala, is originated in northern India. “Chana” means chickpea and “masala” refers to a blend of spices used in Indian cooking. It’s a popular dish throughout India and Pakistan, with recipes varying by region/household.
It is generally made with less tomatoes, no cream and more spices. So it is not creamy and traditionally more liquidy and more concentrated with spices, when compared to this vegetarian butter chicken.
What makes this so good?
It is packed with flavor. It’s creamy, tomatoey, heavily spiced, rich and velvety and satisfying. It will fill you up on the first serving, but you’ll go back for seconds anyways because it is that good. The cooking process itself is simple and the flavors are out of this world. You’ll definitely put this in your dinner rotation more often than you might expect.
- Restaurant quality right at home that too so quick and easy when compared to a traditional butter chicken.
- Make it year round - There is no waiting for fresh summer tomatoes, to make this tomato based curry. This recipe uses canned tomato sauce, making it ready to go when a craving strikes.
- Made with mostly pantry ingredients like canned garbanzo beans, tomato sauce, cashew nuts, honey and other spices.
- Make it healthier - The only sinful ingredient in this vegetarian dinner recipe is the heavy cream. Simply replace it with canned coconut milk for a healthier Indian chickpea curry.
Pro Tips for success
Color : Traditional butter chicken always has an iconic deep orange color that is achieved by adding orange food color. However, the food color can be absolutely skipped and it will not affect the flavor in any way.
Cashew powder – Grind raw cashews into a fine powder using any dry spice grinder or coffee grinder. Stop the grinder every few seconds and give a good shake and continue grinding. This step is important, since cashew powder will start clumping up due to the high fat content.
Cayenne – Cayenne is Indian chili powder.
Spicy – If you like it spicier, then increase cayenne pepper.
Tomato Sauce - Tomato sauce is found in cans in the canned tomato section of your grocery store. DO NOT USE jarred MARINARA SAUCE / PASTA SAUCE / PIZZA SAUCE instead.
Kasoori methi - Kasoori methi is dried fenugreek leaves and is one the essential ingredient in an authentic butter chicken recipe. However, it can be skipped if you don't have it stocked.
Salt - Salt depends on the type of tomato sauce used and your taste preference. Use accordingly.
Key ingredients:
Butter - Ain't butter chickpeas without butter! You can use salted or unsalted butter, but make sure that you adjust salt accordingly.
Tomato - Tomato puree is one of the key ingredients in the recipe. Traditional butter chicken recipes call for blanched and pureed tomatoes, however this recipe uses canned tomato sauce for convenience.
Spices - Cumin seeds, kasoori methi, cayenne, coriander, turmeric and garam masala powders
Cashews - Powdered cashews not only adds creaminess but helps to thicken the sauce.
Want To Save This Recipe?
Chickpeas - I have used canned chickpeas, but you love to cook your own then use 3 cups of cooked chickpeas instead.
Heavy cream - It makes the sauce silky smooth, creamy and luxurious. Do not replace with milk.
Honey - It adds sweetness and makes the dish finger licking good
Food color - Orange food color
How to make?
(with step by step photos)
Heat a pan with butter and toast cumin seeds. Add chopped onion, garlic and ginger and saute until golden brown. Add all spices and cook (stirring continuously) for about couple of minutes, to toast the spices.
Stir in tomato sauce, water, cashew powder and cooked chickpeas, cover and cook in low flame for about 10 minutes (making sure to stir every few minutes to avoid burning). Uncover, stir in heavy cream, honey and food color. Simmer for about 2 minutes and take off heat.
How to serve?
This curry is absolutely delicious with hot buttery naan to scoop up all the luscious sauce. It is also great with homemade parathas, rotis, phulkas, white rice or even crusty bread.
How to store?
Leftover butter chickpeas curry can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat in microwave, until hot.
Can you freeze extras?
Sure! Freeze extra curry in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Pro Tip - Store in single servings so that you can thaw one-person lunch or dinner in the fridge throughout the week/month!
Butter Chickpeas
Ingredients
Group-1
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 and ½ cups finely chopped onion about 1 large
- 2 large garlic cloves crushed
- 2 teaspoons crushed ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt divided (or to taste)
Group-2
- 2 tablespoons Kasoori methi refer notes
- 2 and ½ teaspoons coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper powder refer notes
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons raw cashews made into a fine powder
- Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¼ to ½ cup water
Group-3
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 to 2 pinches orange food color optional
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add butter and let melt.
- Add cumin seeds and let it toast for about 10 seconds and then stir in chopped onion, crushed garlic, ginger and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until onions get golden brown color (4-5 minutes).
- Add kasoori methi, coriander powder, cayenne and garam masala powder. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until spices are toasted well (don't let it burn).
- Add tomato sauce, cashew powder, chickpeas and ¼ cup water stir well, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes (stirring every 3-4 minutes to make sure that it does not burn in the bottom).
- Uncover, stir in heavy cream, honey, orange food color and remaining salt. Let simmer for about 2 minutes. (Stir in additional 2 to 4 tablespoons water if the curry looks too thick).
- Remove from heat and let curry rest for few minutes before serving. Delicious served with naan and/or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love your feedback! Please let me know by leaving a comment or review below or snap a photo and share on Instagram.
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Dur-e-shehwar
A delicious treat for vegetarians.
Delicious Recipes
L
Very good recipe. My husband was very happy with it. We are not vegetarians but love Indian food. We have made it twice within one week or so. I would have made even more if it was up to my husband. Thanks!!! We will definitely make this again. 🙂
Nina
This recipe is in my family’s steady dinner rotation. We love it!!
Maria Doss
Glad to hear, have a great day hun - Maria
Lana
Fabulous dish, I’ve made it twice. I made my husband store bought butter chicken & he had one taste & liked mine better. Today I made this for second time & split the sauce, added chickpeas with beans to mine & chicken to his. Also made naan & cooked rice too. Everyone covered!
Tnx for your yummy recipe ☺️😊😀
Maria Doss
Glad to hear hun, have a wondeful week - Maria
Dana
Great recipe! I’ve made it many times with chickpeas and sometimes with chicken and it’s been great! It’s part of my rotation of foods, and as a picky eater that’s a quite high regard haha.
I do make some modifications to suit my palette a bit better: I use spinach instead of kasoori methi, it’s a decent enough substitute. I also roundabouts double the number of spices as I like it to be quite spiced. When I haven’t had heavy cream on hand, I’ve used evaporated milk and added to water until it’s kinda thick and then added that in.
CHJ
Fantastic recipe! Have made it many times. Used your suggestion to substitute fennel seeds for the kasoori methi.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! Wishing you a very happy holidays - Maria ♡