Tag: vegan

Old Fashioned English Tea Loaf (Vegan | Dairy-Free)

Old Fashioned English Tea Loaf (Dairy-Free / Egg-Free / Fat-Free)

Published on by Sharon76 Comments

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* This recipe was originally posted in March 2014. The page was updated in August 2019.

It might be old-fashioned, but tea loaf rocks! It’s perfect for serving for ‘elevenses’ or as a mid-afternoon ‘pick me up’ with a lovely cup of tea. It also makes a tasty after-school or travel snack. This is one of my all-time favourite treats for road trips!

I have my mum’s friend to thank for the recipe. I arrived at my mum’s house one day to discover this incredible smell wafting out of the kitchen. It turned out to be this tea loaf!

Back home, I couldn’t wait to have a try at making my own. The original recipe contained egg but I omitted the egg, tweaked the wet/dry ratio a little and it turned out absolutely fine. My family can’t actually tell the difference!

Old Fashioned English Tea Loaf (Vegan | Dairy-Free)

As cakes go, this tea loaf is pretty healthy. It’s filled with nutrient-rich dried fruits, whole grain flour, and it’s fat free!

It’s incredibly easy to make too. You simply soak the dried fruit in a cup of tea for a few hours, then mix all the ingredients together and bake.

Recipe Card

Old Fashioned English Tea Loaf (Vegan | Dairy-Free)

Old Fashioned English Tea Loaf

It might be old-fashioned, but tea loaf rocks! It's perfect for serving for 'elevenses' or as a mid-afternoon 'pick me up'. It also makes a delicious after-school and travel snack. It's incredibly easy to make. You simply soak the dried fruit in a cup of tea for a few hours, then mix all the ingredients together and bake.
5 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Hands-on time 10 minutes
Total Time 6 hours
Course Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Elevenses, Snack, Treat
Cuisine English
Servings 10

Ingredients
 

  • 250 ml / 1 cup strongly brewed tea
  • 225 g / 1½ cups mixed dried fruit*
  • 113 g / ½ cup unrefined cane sugar(e.g. golden caster) or coconut sugar
  • 1 TBSP marmalade or apricot jam
  • 227 g / 1⅔ cups fine wholemeal (whole wheat pastry) or chapatti flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon or mixed spice
  • 3 TBSP water

Instructions
 

  • Soak the dried fruit in the brewed tea for 4-5 hours (can be left overnight).
  • Grease a 2lb loaf pan and line the bottom with non-stick baking paper (or use a non-stick loaf liner).
  • Pre-heat the oven to 160C (160C for fan also) / 325F.
  • Tip the dried fruit and any remaining tea into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and marmalade/jam. Sift in the flour, baking powder and spice. Add 3 TBSP water and stir until thoroughly combined.
  • Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.
  • Bake for 1¼ hours, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to rest in the tin for 30 minutes or so, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.
  • Stored in an airtight container, the loaf will keep for up to five days in the fridge. It also freezes well.

Notes

* I often use raisins, sultanas, goji berries, candied citrus peel.
Keyword Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Tea Loaf, Vegan Cake, Vegan Treats
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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English Tea Loaf (Dairy-Free | Fat-Free | Vegan)

If you make this Tea Loaf (or any other recipes on my blog), I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.   

With love,

Sharon xx

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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE…

Old Fashioned English Bread Pudding

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables with Jewelled Couscous

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables with Jewelled Couscous

Published on by Sharon2 Comments

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In today’s post, I’m sharing a Moroccan-inspired dinner that my family has been loving lately. It’s super easy to make, highly adaptable and a great make-ahead option. These past couple of weeks have been scorching hot in the UK, so we’ve really enjoyed this dish at room temperature. It’s equally delicious served hot or cold.

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables with Jewelled Couscous

Check out all those beautiful colours!!

And those vibrant colours are an indication of all the wonderful health-boosting antioxidants and phytonutrients in this dish. It is especially rich in carotenoids (which give the sweet potato and bell pepper their vivid orange and red hue), vitamin C and vitamin E.

This is one of those meals that leaves me feeling incredibly energised and fantastic on the inside!

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables

The inspiration for this dinner was a recipe that featured in this month’s Vegan Life magazine for ‘Jewelled Cous Cous with Harissa Roasted Vegetables’. I’ve tried Harissa paste a few times in the past, but I personally find it way too spicy… I can literally feel my lips and throat burning even with the tiniest amount.

Since I’m a complete wimp when it comes to handling chilli heat, instead of using Harissa, I created my own spice blend mix which has the aromatic flavours that I associate with Moroccan cuisine, but is mild enough for me (and, by default, children!)

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables with Jewelled Couscous

Recipe Card

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables with Jewelled Couscous

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables with Jewelled Couscous

Sharon
This Moroccan-inspired dinner is packed full of colour and flavour. I’ve made it mild enough to serve to all family members, but feel free to add some Harissa paste if you like heat. It is equally delicious served hot or cold, and is a great make-ahead option. Be sure to add a dollop of hummus to your bowls before serving. It’s the perfect complement to the dish and is great for holding the couscous together on your fork!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Hands-on time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Moroccan
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

Spice blend for the roasted vegetables

  • 2 TBSP tomato puree (paste)
  • 1½ TBSP olive oil
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp Ras el hanout
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Roasted Vegetables

  • 2 sweet potatoes (450g) peeled and cut into 2 cm / ¾ inch cubes
  • 2 courgettes (zucchini) (400g) sliced lengthwise then into 1.5 cm / ½ inch half moons
  • 2 sweet romano or red bell peppers (200g) deseeded and sliced
  • 2 red onions (200g) sliced into wedges
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • oil for spraying the roasting tins
  • 2 TBSP pumpkin seeds
  • 2 TBSP sunflower seeds

Jewelled Couscous

  • 250 g / 1⅓ cups couscous (preferably whole wheat)
  • 8 dried apricots (44g) diced
  • 4 TBSP dried cranberries (38g) (preferably sweetened with fruit juice)
  • 480 ml / 2 cups boiling vegetable stock (broth) (I use water and 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder)
  • ½ TBSP extra virgin olive oil

Garnish

  • 4 TBSP toasted flaked almonds
  • 8 TBSP hummus

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) / 400F.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine all the spice blend ingredients. Add the chopped vegetables and stir through to coat.
  • Lightly spray two roasting tins with oil and arrange the veggies in a single layer. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until the sweet potato is cooked through. Give them a stir half way through the cooking time. At this point, sprinkle in the pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
  • Ten minutes before the veggies are ready, place the couscous, apricots and cranberries in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the boiling hot stock on top, cover with a plate and leave for 7 minutes. Drizzle on ½ TBSP olive oil and fluff up with a fork.
  • Divide the couscous and roasted veggies between four bowls. Add a large dollop of hummus to each bowl, sprinkle some flaked almonds on top for garnish and serve.
  • Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for three days. They’re delicious eaten hot or cold, and make a great lunchbox option! The roasted veggies are also freezable.

Notes

Recipe adapted from ‘Jewelled Cous Cous with Harissa Roasted Vegetables’ in Issue 52 of Vegan Life magazine.
Keyword Couscous, Family Friendly, Lunchbox Ideas, Plant-Based, Roasted Vegetables, Vegan Dinners, Vegan Lunch
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutritional Breakdown

N.B. The above values are estimates. The actual nutritional values will vary depending on the brands and ingredients used.

Pin for later ⬇️

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables with Jewelled Couscous

If you make this Moroccan Roasted Vegetables with Jewelled Couscous (or any other recipes on my blog), I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.   

With love,

Sharon xx

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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE…

Moroccan-Spiced Falafel

Falafel Sandwich


Bit of the Good Stuff Plant-Based Nutrition Coaching

Published on by Sharon4 Comments

Last Saturday at Bath Vegan Festival, we publicly launched Bit of the Good Stuff Plant-Based Nutrition Coaching 🌱 We have been busy working behind the scenes on this new venture for some time now, and we are delighted to finally be in a position to share it with you!

Where it started….

Since we started our own plant-based journey as a family back in 2011, we’ve shared hundreds of recipes on the Bit of the Good Stuff blog. This was followed by the launch of our first cookbook in November 2016, and it’s been an absolute joy to hear how useful people have been finding both the book and the blog! 

And while we are keen to continue sharing new recipes on the blog, we also want to be able to help people on their plant-based journey in a more personal way. With this in mind, in 2018, we trained to become qualified nutrition advisors. Sharon qualified as a Nutritional Therapist, and Mark as a Sport and Exercise Nutrition Advisor. 

Since then, we’ve been working with friends and volunteers to develop and refine our coaching sessions. It’s been a lot of fun and very rewarding to help people on their journeys, whatever their plans and aspirations for a more plant-based lifestyle.

Why we’re doing it…

There are three equally important reasons why we are keen to promote plant-based living:

The Environment – The impact of meat and dairy agriculture on the environment is now mainstream news. Reducing consumption of animal products is one of the key components of reducing carbon emissions. Going plant-based is the single most significant thing we can do, as individuals, to reduce our environmental impact.

Our Health – Plant-based living is also good for our health. The incidence of many of the now prevalent diet-related diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease can be reduced by adopting a more plant-based lifestyle. 

The Animals – Going plant-based is the most powerful action we can take to reduce animal suffering. Each year, in the UK alone, 900 million farmed animals are killed for food or as by-products of the dairy and egg industries.

Why Go Plant-Based?

The Launch!

It was incredibly special for us to launch our new venture at Bath Vegan Festival (in our home city!) We’d like to say a big thank you to Victoria and Wes at Vegan Events UK for organising the day, and to everyone who came to chat to us at our stall. Everyone we met was so friendly, kind and supportive!

Huge thanks also to everyone who came to Mark’s talk. What a fantastic turn out! Mark really appreciated everyone who endured the stifling heat to listen to his talk on plant-based nutrition; and all the positive support and feedback!

Bath Vegan Festival 2019

And finally, we would like to extend a massive thank you to Catriona Archer for her beautiful design work. Catriona’s principal business is Interior Styling, but her eye for design extends way beyond interiors. It was Catriona that designed our first cookbook, so it’s brilliant to have the same ‘look and feel’ running through our new business.

And while we’re excited to be starting something new, we’re also really looking forward to blogging lots more delicious recipes and ideas for plant-based living!

Thank you for your continued support,

Best Wishes,


Sharon and Mark xx


Chickpea Smash Sandwich Filling

Chickpea Smash with Dill Pickles – Delicious Vegan Sandwich Filling!

Published on by Sharon11 Comments

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In today’s post I’m sharing a sandwich filling that is tangy, crunchy, creamy and oh so delicious! It reminds me of the Heinz Sandwich Spread that I used to love as a kid in the 80s, but this home-made version is way fresher, tastier and healthier too! 

Chickpea Smash Sandwich Filling (Vegan | Dairy-Free)

If you’re looking for a new sandwich to liven up school or work lunchboxes, I’d definitely recommend giving this recipe a try. It would also be great for picnics and buffets. As well as a sandwich filling, you can also use it as a topping for crackers. Perhaps even as a jacket potato topper too?

It’s really easy to make and takes around 12 minutes to prepare a large bowl, which will fill about five sandwiches. I tend to make one batch of chickpea smash at the start of the week, which we then use on the following days for Lucien’s school sandwiches, as well as our own.

The inspiration for today’s recipe was this Garden Veggie Chickpea Salad Sandwich from Jenn @ Peas and Crayons which I came across back in 2017, and have been making adapted versions of ever since. Jenn, in turn, credits Angela from Oh She Glows for inspiring her recipe, so it sounds like Angela is the original recipe creator. I’d like to thank both Jenn and Angela for inspiring the recipe I’m sharing today and for giving my family so much sandwich joy these past couple of years!

This recipe is highly versatile, so feel free to switch up the ingredients. I would definitely recommend keeping the dill pickles in though, as they give this recipe its signature tangy, crunchy bite. In England, dill pickles are called ‘gherkins’. It’s such a funny name isn’t it? Even funnier, my mum still calls them by their old slang name ‘Wallies’. Personally, I prefer to call them dill pickles as it sounds much more appealing to me than gherkins or wallies. How about you? What do you call them?

Recipe Card

Chickpea Smash Sandwich Filling (Vegan | Dairy-Free)

Chickpea Smash Sandwich Filling with Dill Pickles

This tangy, crunchy, creamy chickpea smash is perfect as a sandwich filling for school or work lunchboxes, as well as picnics and buffets. The quantity below fills about five sandwiches.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Hands-on time 12 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Course Lunch, Snack
Servings 5

Ingredients
 

  • 400 g / 14 oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 140 g / 1 cup cucumber finely diced
  • 1 medium carrot (66g), grated
  • 1 small red bell pepper or romano pepper deseeded and finely diced
  • 75 g / ½ cup dill pickles or gherkins sliced
  • 2 TBSP pumpkin seeds
  • 4 TBSP vegan mayonnaise*
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ tsp dried dill
  • pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • Placed the drained chickpeas in a large bowl and roughly mash with a potato masher.
  • Add all the remaining ingredients and stir through until fully combined. Taste test and adjust the seasoning to suit.
  • Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this chickpea smash will keep for three days.

Notes

* I use this Home-Made Sweet Chilli Mayonnaise It’s so cheap and easy to make! If you prefer to use a ready-made mayonnaise, both Vegenaise and Hellmans Vegan Mayo are now available in many of the major supermarkets in the UK, as well as the independent health food shops.
 
Keyword Family Friendly, Gluten-Free, Plant-Based, Vegan Buffets, Vegan Picnics, Vegan Sandwiches, Vegan Snacks
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutritional Breakdown

N.B. The above values are estimates. The actual nutritional values will vary depending on the brands and ingredients used.

Pin for later ⬇️

If you make this Chickpea Smash, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.   

With love,

Sharon xx

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Hot Cross Bun Loaf

Hot Cross Bun Loaf [Vegan]

Published on by Sharon7 Comments

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The recipe I’m sharing today is a twist on a traditional Easter favourite … it’s a Hot Cross Bun Loaf! This spiced fruity loaf is perfect for sharing with friends and family over the holidays. I’ve made three loaves already this week and no doubt I’ll be baking more in the lead up to the bank holiday weekend. It sure is a crowd pleaser. Happy holidays everyone!

Hot Cross Bun Loaf

* Disclaimer: Vegan Life kindly sent me a complimentary copy of this magazine

It was the April edition of the Vegan Life magazine that inspired today’s recipe. I’m a massive fan of hot cross buns, so when I spotted the ‘Hot-Crossed Loaf’ on p47, I knew that I had to give it a try.

I was so impressed with how it turned out. There is something really satisfying about baking bread from scratch. It doesn’t take a great deal of effort either. The main challenge is being patient while the dough proves. It’s definitely worth the wait though!

Hot Cross Bun Loaf

I did tweak the original recipe a little to suit my personal tastes. Instead of nutmeg and the zest of an orange and lemon, I used a tablespoon of mixed spice and added a little salt too, to make the flavours pop.  My family was amazed at how similar the loaf tasted to hot cross buns!

I also played around with the glaze topping. Inspired by my Hot Cross Bun recipe (which I posted way back in 2014!), I tried topping one of the loaves with a glaze made of unrefined sugar and orange juice. Though a little sticky on the fingers, the glaze made the loaf beautifully shiny and tasted delicious too. In the recipe below, I’ve given the original glazing option, then added the instructions for my ‘super shiny’ glaze in the Notes section.

Hot Cross Bun Loaf
Hot Cross Bun Loaf

Recipe Card

Hot Cross Bun Loaf

Hot Cross Bun Loaf

A twist on the traditional Easter favourite, this spiced fruity loaf is perfect for sharing with friends and family over the holidays. It’s delicious served freshly baked with a cuppa, or toasted and topped with vegan butter and jam.
Recipe lightly adapted from ‘Hot Crossed Loaf’ in Vegan Life magazine, Issue 49
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Hands-on time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Elevenses, Treat
Cuisine English
Servings 10

Ingredients
 

For the dough:

  • 7 g / 2¼ tsp fast action (easy bake) yeast
  • 1 tsp unrefined sugar
  • 120 ml / ½ cup lukewarm water
  • 180 ml / ¾ cup lukewarm plant-based milk (I used soya milk)
  • 75 ml / ⅓ cup neutral-flavoured oil (I used rapeseed (canola) oil)
  • 1 TBSP mixed spice (or substitute with pumpkin spice)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 50 g / ¼ cup unrefined sugar
  • 500 g / 3½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 135 g / ¾ cup mixed dried fruit (I used raisins, candied orange peel and dried cranberries)

For the glaze:

  • 1 TBSP maple syrup (or for a super shiny glaze, see Notes below)

For the cross topping:

  • 35 g / ¼ cup icing (confectioners) sugar
  • ½ TBSP fruit juice
  • 2-3 drops of orange extract

Instructions
 

  • Add the yeast, 1 tsp sugar and lukewarm water to a large mixing bowl and hand whisk to combine. Leave for a few minutes.
  • When the yeast has frothed, add the lukewarm milk, oil, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, salt and sugar to the bowl. Hand whisk to combine.
  • Add the flour, a little at a time, stirring with a spoon until it forms a dough. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 4 minutes adding more flour, as needed, until it is smooth and no longer sticky.
  • Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. (If your house is cold, cover the bowl with a piece of foil and place in the oven at a very low temperature (40C).
  • Add the dried fruit and knead to distribute it as evenly as possible through the dough. Grease and line a large (3lb) loaf tin with non-stick baking paper (or use a non-stick loaf liner). Place the dough in the prepared tin and cover with a tea towel. Leave to prove in a warm place for another 30 minutes.
  • When the dough is almost ready, pre-heat the oven to 200C (180C fan) / 400F.
  • Brush the top of the dough with maple syrup (or skip this step if you’ve opted for the super shiny glaze option – see Notes below).
  • Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and the bread makes a hollow sound when tapped.
  • Once the loaf has cooled, sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and add ½ TBSP fruit juice and a couple of drops of orange extract. Keep stirring until a thick icing has formed – it should be thick enough that it doesn’t drop off the spoon easily. Spoon into a piping bag and criss cross your loaf. Allow the icing to set before serving.
  • Stored in an airtight container, the loaf will keep fresh for a couple of days. After this, it is best served with some dairy-free butter. It is also delicious toasted.

Notes

For a super shiny glaze, once the loaf has baked, gently simmer 1½ TBSP unrefined sugar with 1½ TBSP fruit juice in a small saucepan, stirring regularly until the glaze has reduced and thickened. Immediately brush the glaze on top of the warm loaf, then leave to cool. If using this glaze, the maple syrup at Step 7 can be omitted.
Keyword Easter, Hot Cross Bun, Spiced Fruit Loaf, Vegan
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutritional Breakdown

N.B. The above values are estimates. The actual nutritional values will vary depending on the brands and ingredients used.

Pin for later ⬇️

Hot Cross Bun Loaf

Big thank you to Vegan Life magazine for the inspo! ✨

If you make this Hot Cross Bun Loaf (or any other recipes on my blog), I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media and they will find their way to me. You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.   

With love,

Sharon xx


Vegan Butter 'Chicken'

‘Butter Chicken’ … Vegan Style!

Published on by Sharon7 Comments

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Hey lovely people! Today I’m sharing a vegan version of the classic Indian dish Murgh Makhani (‘Butter Chicken’). While the chicken, cream and butter have been replaced with plant-based alternatives, there has been no compromise in flavour or consistency. The dish is filled with beautiful Indian spices and is really flavourful, but mild enough (heat wise) to be appealing to all members of the family.

As well as being a tasty, cruelty-free version of traditional ‘Butter Chicken’ it also happens to be packed full of nutritional goodness. It’s rich in B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and a whole array of minerals, including iron, calcium and zinc. It is also super high in protein. A single serving contains around 35 g and that’s without the rice or flat bread! Unlike the traditional dish, this vegan version is low in fat and contains zero cholesterol. It’s a winner all round!

Butter Chicken - Vegan Style

The inspiration for this dish came from this month’s Vegan Life magazine. As soon as I spotted the recipe for ‘Butter Chicken’ (p53) I couldn’t wait to give it a try. The author of the recipe is the incredibly talented Sasha Gill who blogs at The Sasha Diaries and has recently authored her debut vegan cookbook Jackfruit and Blue Ginger … all the while studying medicine at Oxford University!

The recipe I’m sharing today is an adaptation of Sasha’s original recipe. Rather than heading out to buy new ingredients, I decided to use the spices I already had available in my pantry. I was also a bit short on time, so I tweaked the method to enable me to have it on the table within 30 minutes. The resulting dish was so tasty that I quickly jotted down the amendments I made, then re-made it a few days later to check it wasn’t a fluke. Nope. It was equally delicious the second time.

After pan frying the onion, garlic and spices for a couple of minutes, I blended all the sauce ingredients in my high speed blender. Literally within seconds it was silky smooth! I poured the sauce back into the pan and heated it through. Job done!

Butter Chicken Simmering

Instead of chicken, we used seitan (as recommended by Sasha), which is chewy, succulent and soaks up the flavours of the sauce really well. Lately, I’ve really got into making seitan from scratch. Not only is it easy to make, but I find it works out far cheaper than the store-bought meat alternatives. This recipe cost me £3.11 to make, which equates to 78p per portion. Bargain!

Recipe Card

Vegan Butter 'Chicken'

‘Butter Chicken’ … Vegan Style!

A delicious, plant-based version of the Indian dish Murgh Makhani ('Butter Chicken'). It is beautifully flavoured with Indian spices but I’ve kept it mild enough for children (and spice wimps like me!) Serve with your favourite rice and naan bread. My family also loves to add a side dish of roasted cauliflower.
Adapted from Sasha Gill's Butter 'Chicken' in Jackfruit and Blue Ginger, featured in Vegan Life magazine Issue 48
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Hands-on time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

  • ½ TBSP olive oil
  • 1 brown onion, diced
  • 3 tsp garlic paste
  • 2 tsp ginger paste
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 480 ml / 2 cups tomato passata
  • 40 g / ¼ cup cashews (If you don’t have a power blender, soak the cashews in freshly boiled water for 30 minutes to soften them, then drain)
  • 120 ml / ½ cup plant-based milk (I used soya)
  • 1 tsp unrefined sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 450 g / 16 oz seitan ‘chicken’ or store-bought meat alternative*
  • coriander (cilantro) leaves to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat and cook the onion until it starts to soften (about 4 minutes).
  • Add the garlic and ginger paste to the pan and stir through. Stir in the dry spices (cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and garam masala). Add a splash of water if it starts to stick. Cook for a further minute.
  • Meanwhile, add the cashews and plant milk to a high speed blender, and blend smooth.
  • Add the contents of the pan to the blender, along with the tomato passata, sugar and salt. Whizz until smooth.
  • Pour the mixture back into the pan. Tear up the seitan ‘chicken’ into chunks and add them to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until warmed through. Taste test and adjust the seasoning, to suit.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice and pieces of naan bread. We also love to serve some roasted cauliflower on the side.

Notes

* I use home-made Easy Seitan ‘Chicken’. Gluten-free vegan chicken alternatives (made with soy or pea protein) are available from larger supermarkets in the UK. 
Keyword Family Friendly, Plant-Based, Seitan, Vegan
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutritional Breakdown

N.B. The above values are estimates. The actual nutritional values will vary depending on the brands and ingredients used.

Pin for later ⬇️

Butter Chicken ... Vegan Style

Big thank you to Sasha Gill and Vegan Life magazine for the inspo! ✨

If you make this Vegan Style ‘Butter Chicken’ (or any other recipes on my blog), I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.   

With love,

Sharon xx