Vegan “Butter” Chickpeas for Under $1 a Serving

Your tastebuds will be in heaven with this rich, creamy, delicious butter chickpea recipe! Inspired by Northern India’s famous butter chicken dish, this recipe is completely meat and dairy-free.

The gravy is infused with spices like cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon while tomatoes, non-dairy yogurt, and cashews lend a creamy and slight acidic element. The end result is a silky-smooth filling meal.

If you’re someone who enjoys leftovers, rest assured your lunch will taste even better the next day as the spices meld in the fridge. And if you need any more encouragement to try this one-pan meal, it’s packed with fiber. This nutrient has been proven to help you lose weight, lower cholesterol, and keep your blood sugar stable.

Serve butter chickpeas on their own or with a side of rice, fresh cilantro, and homemade garlic naan for a complete and satisfying meal!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Cost: $3.63 recipe | $0.60 serving

Vegan "Butter" Chickpeas

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons non-dairy butter or olive oil, divided ($0.22)
• 2 bay leaves ($0.02)
• ½-inch piece of cinnamon ($0.02)
• 4 green cardamom pods ($0.04)
• 4 whole cloves ($0.02)
• 1 white onion, diced ($0.24)
• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced ($0.05)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced ($0.24)
• 3 green chiles, minced ($0.09)
• 2 teaspoons paprika ($0.04)
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric optional ($0.01)
• 4 Roma tomatoes, diced ($0.64)
• ½ cup raw cashew nuts, soaked ($0.86)
• 3 tablespoons non-dairy yogurt ($0.15)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice ($0.18)
• 3 ½ cups cooked chickpeas ($0.63)
• 1 tablespoon garam masala ($0.07)
• 2-3 teaspoons coconut sugar ($0.01)
• Salt to taste ($0.01)

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of non-dairy butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add in the bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom pods, and cloves. Toast until the spices are fragrant and golden.
2. Add in the diced onion and give it a stir, then add in minced ginger, garlic, and chiles. Cook for 1 minute. Add in paprika, turmeric, tomatoes, cashews, non-dairy yogurt, lemon juice, and ½ cup of water. Cover and simmer for 9-10 minutes until the tomatoes are tender.
3. Transfer to a blender and mix on high until smooth. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, strain the mixture or just add it directly back into the pan with 1 more cup of water.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add cooked chickpeas, garam masala, coconut sugar, the rest of the non-dairy butter, and salt to taste. Simmer for another 5 minutes, then serve while warm with a side of rice, naan, cilantro, etc. Enjoy!

Notes

• If you don’t have any of the whole spices, they can be replaced with powdered spices. Just add them in at the same time as the paprika and turmeric.
• If you don’t have non-dairy yogurt, replace it with another 3 tablespoons of cashews.
• Since the chickpeas don’t need to be marinated, the typical marinade ingredients have been incorporated into the gravy.

Nutrition: 1 of 6 servings
Calories 334| Total Fat 10.5 g | Saturated Fat 2.1 g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 132.6 mg | Total Carbohydrates 49.6 g | Dietary Fiber 12.3 g | Total Sugars 14.8 g | Protein 14.5 g | Calcium 106.2 mg | Iron 5.0 mg | Potassium 510.7 mg |