Spice up your vegetarian options

Butter Chickpeas Masala

This is the simplest of Indian recipes using minimal ingredients, made in approximately 30 minutes. An easy-peasy Indian Butter Chickpeas recipe packed with butter chicken sauce flavour and using tender chickpeas as the protein instead of chicken. This dish is rich, creamy and comforting and is inspired by the classic Indian butter chicken

If you don’t like chickpeas, you can use other pre-cooked or canned beans. It’s all in that sauce though!

3 tablespoons butter or ghee

1 can tomato puree or passata

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 can full-fat coconut milk

2 tablespoons creamed cashew or cashew cream

2 cans chickpeas drained

1 large red onion, diced

2 teaspoons garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon sweet paprika or slightly spicy cayenne

1/2 tsp Indian red chilli powder (if you like it spicy)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon minced ginger and garlic paste

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves, or Kasoori Methi

handful chopped cilantro, for garnish

sliced green chilies for garnish (if you like)

1 tablespoon lime juice

Heat the butter in a pan until melted, and then add the onion and saute for 5-6 minutes.

Add the garlic ginger paste and cook on low till the raw smell of the spices is gone. Add in the tomato puree and the tomato paste and all of the dry spices except fenugreek leaves. Cook on low, stirring the mixture, for about 4 to 5 minutes till everything is well rounded. Add the salt and sugar.

Stir in the chickpeas and simmer them in the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes on low.

Finally, stir in the coconut cream and cashew cream and lemon juice on low heat until warmed through. Add the fenugreek leaves, lime juice and garnish with the cilantro.

The sauce will become thicker as it cools.

Serve the butter chickpeas with rice or quinoa or any flatbread.

Serene Tharian arranges South Indian Dinner Clubs through her cooking club, The Best Exotic Kerala Kitchen, also on Facebook and Instagram. She can also be contacted on 99 222462