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This Vegan Curry recipe with soy curls and creamy Fenugreek Onion Sauce makes for an amazing vegan version of Indian Methi Chicken. Any easy Indian Instant Pot recipe that is gluten-free, nut-free & comes with a soy-free option. Jump to Recipe
Who’s in the mood for vegan curries!? This time I’ve veganized an all-time Indian favorite: Fenugreek Chicken aka. Methi Chicken – a hearty spicy Indian curry with the amazing flavor of fenugreek leaves coming through in every bite.
While many vegan versions of chicken curries use chickpeas, potatoes or tofu as a meat substitute, I’m using soy curls.
Soy curls are a plant-based chikin substitute. . They make an amazing carrier for the fragrant creamy onion fenugreek sauce and have such a satisfyingly chewy on-the-point texture. You can use seitan, other meat subs, or chickpeas or baked tofu/veggies.
This vegan soy curl curry is so full of flavor and is seriously very easy to make either in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
Ingredients used for making this Vegan Methi Chicken Curry recipe :
- Methi/fenugreek leaves: Dried fenugreek (kasoori methi) is available in Indian stores and online on amazon. Definitely get some, I use it in many recipes and I am sure you will enjoy its unique taste. Fenugreek has an amazing flavor profile, bitter but pleasing with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor often described as a cross between celery and maple. You can use ground mustard + celery seeds as a substitute when used in small quantities.
- Non-dairy milk makes this Instant Pot dish rich and creamy. Cashew milk or any other plant-based milk works here. A thicker non dairy milk will give a creamy , rich gravy. You could also use unsweetened soy or oat cream.
- Non-dairy yogurt for extra tang, lusciousness, and creaminess. You could also use coconut cream.
- Soy curls made from non-GMO soybeans are a textured soy product that closely resembles the texture and mouthfeel of meat. A relatively new and wonderful way to bump up the plant-based protein of all your favorite curries and stews. No need to rehydrate them for this recipe.
- Whole and ground dried spices: cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and other warming ground spices such as coriander, turmeric, garam masala and cumin for that signature Indian flavor.
- Fresh seasonings: fresh ginger and green chili for some heat.
Tips and substitutions:
- To make this vegan curry recipe soy-free, you could use seitan, jackfruit or a can of beans or chickpeas.
- You can stir in some coconut oil or vegan butter with the non-dairy milk to make this vegan curry taste even more like a restaurant-style dish.
- For an oil-free version, cook the onion in broth instead of oil.
- To take this Indian Instant Pot curry to the next level, serve it topped with some chopped cilantro, crushed red pepper flakes and freshly cut wedges of lime for some zing. Serve with rice, naan or any other flatbread.
How to make this Vegan Methi Chicken Curry recipe – Step by Step:
Prepare your ingredients: Have the whole and ground spices ready and mince the onions and garlic.
Start the Instant Pot and set to saute mode. Add oil and wait for it to get hot.
Add whole spices and mix for a few seconds until they get fragrant, then add the minced onions and saute until translucent. You can add the garlic now if you don’t want to blend the garlic with the tomato.
Blend the tomato, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, and green chili with 3/4 cup water.
Add ground spices and mix in. Add the tomato mixture to the instant pot and mix it in. Switch off the saute mode.
Add the dried soy curls, salt, sugar, yogurt and mix in. Close the lid of the instant pot and pressure cook for everything 15 mins.
Now, wait for natural steam release.
Open the lid and add the nondairy milk and bring the curry to a boil on saute mode. Taste the curry and adjust salt and seasoning.
Add garam masala or ground coriander along with the fenugreek leaves and mix to combine. Switch off the saute mode as you don’t want to boil the fenugreek for too long.
How to serve this vegan chicken methi curry?
I like this best when served with basmati rice. However, it also tastes amazing with some homemade naan bread. Garnish your vegan soy curl curry with cilantro and pepper flakes and serve with some lime wedges if you want to add some zing.
How to reheat this vegan chicken curry?
You can double the recipe if you want to cook a big batch and reheat any leftovers in a pot on the stove or in the microwave the next day.
More Vegan Indian recipes from the blog:
- Vegan Butter Chicken
- Methi Malai Paneer
- Bombay Potato and Peas
- Tofu Pasanda
- Tofu in Spinach Curry – Saag Tofu
- Vegetable Jalfrezi – Veggies in smoky tangy curry
- Gobi Broccoli Makhani
- Tempeh Tikka Masala with Kale
Instant Pot Vegan Methi Chicken Curry with Creamy Fenugreek Onion Sauce
This Vegan Curry recipe with soy curls and creamy Fenugreek Onion Sauce makes for an amazing vegan version of Indian Methi Chicken. Any easy Indian Instant Pot recipe that is gluten-free, nut-free & comes with a soy-free option.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil, or use 2 tbsp broth for oil-free
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 green cardamom pods, opened
- 3 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick, (2 inch)
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tomato
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 inch ginger, (1/2 inch cube)
- 1 hot or mild green chile, , I use serrano
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar or sweetener, or more to taste
- 1.5 cup soy curls (dry, not rehydrated)
- 1/2 cup Non dairy yogurt
- 3/4 cup non-dairy milk, or more to preference , such as almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk, coconut milk or oat milk
- 3 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
- garam masala , or coriander to taste
- 1/4 cup cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Start the Instant Pot on saute mode. Add the oil and wait for it to get hot. Add the whole spices and mix for a few seconds until fragrant, then add the minced onions and saute until translucent. (You can add in the garlic here if you don't want to blend the garlic with the tomato.)
- Blend the tomato, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, chili with 3/4 cup water.
- Add ground spices and mix them in. Add tomato mixture to the IP and mix it in. Switch off saute mode.
- Add the dried soy curls, salt, sugar, dairy-free yogurt and mix in. Close the lid and pressure cook for 15 mins, natural release
- Open the lid and add the non-dairy milk and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
- Add garam masala or ground coriander and fenugreek leaves and mix in. Switch off the saute mode at this point as you don't want to boil the fenugreek for too long to not lose the flavor.
- Serve garnished with cilantro, red pepper flakes, and some freshly cut lime wedges. Tastes best with rice or some naan flatbread.Store refrigerated for upto 3 days. Reheat with additional non dairy milk as the sauce will tend to dry out.
- Saucepan: Blend the tomato, tomato paste, ginger, garlic, chili with 1/4 cup water. Follow steps 1,2,3 in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the tomato mixture until thickened and slightly roasted. (7 to 10 mins).Add the soy curls, non dairy yogurt, salt and sugar and mix in. cook for 3 mins. Add in the non dairy milk and 3/4 cup water and continue too cook until the soy curls are tender.(7 to 10 mins). Add garam masala/ Taste and adjust.
Video
Notes
- To make this vegan curry recipe soy-free, you could use seitan, jackfruit or a can of beans or chickpeas.
- You can stir in some coconut oil or vegan butter with the non-dairy milk to make this vegan curry taste even more like a restaurant-style dish.
- For an oil-free version, cook the onion in broth instead of oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 181.32kcal, Carbohydrates: 19.4g, Protein: 19.29g, Fat: 2.96g, Saturated Fat: 0.77g, Cholesterol: 3.98mg, Sodium: 520.29mg, Potassium: 218.74mg, Fiber: 7.83g, Sugar: 8.53g, Vitamin A: 414.95IU, Vitamin C: 8.97mg, Calcium: 235.74mg, Iron: 4.73mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!
This is a real winner Richa! Such a delicious sauce. This was my first time using soy curls. What a great introduction to them! Thanks for an awesome dinner tonight 😊
Hi Richa! I am really looking forward to making this on Sunday evening. I hope you can help me clear up two things:
1. The recipe calls for 1 and 1/2 cups or 354 g of dry soy curls. These don’t seem to be equivalent. A whole bag of Butler Soy Curls is 227 g before being rehydrated. 1 and 1/2 cups appears to be less than a whole bag. Which quantity should I use?
2. I am planning to cook this dish in a regular pot. May I confirm that I should be adding the soy curls dry and not rehydrating them? I don’t have much experience cooking with soy curls as I only brought a few bags home with me after a trip to the U.S., so any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Hi Ponnington! You will need more than one bag as 1.5 cups is 354g. it’s 1.5 cups dry and yes, you just add them in dry without rehydrating them as they will become hydrated during the cooking process.
Hi Richa, thanks for all these wonderful recipes! I agree with Ponnington’s comment above. I too was confused about the 1.5 cups, as that’s definitely not 354 g of soy curls. Even in your butter ‘chicken’ recipe with soy curls you’ve listed 1 c of soy curls as 55 g (which is about right for me).
Anyway, just wanted to point that out as it may be worth modifying (if people don’t scroll down to the comments).
Take care!
The widget which provides conversion sometimes picks up wrong values from the database, let me check
Updated to 183 g
Hi ponnington, yes you use them without rehydration and you are right the weight was wrong on the widget. You need just 180g
Hi Richa,
Could you tell me, please, how much do the timings change if instead of an instant pot I use a pressure cooker? Thank you!
yes, just cook for the time counting from the time the the cooker comes to pressure
Can’t wait to make this! I found soy curls at a Natural Grocers store for about half the price they would have been from Amazon. Already have. the kasoori methi and the other Indian spices so will probably make this (stovetop) this weekend. Diabetes has flared up again so will probably be eating it with cauliflower rice; know that you have some good-looking recipes for it. Thanks for everything!
Amazing recipe, Richa! I made this with canned chickpeas and pressure cooked for 5 mins. Amazing flavor!! Thanks so much! I love your website and have both your cookbooks! I’ve also gifted your books to my friends. Any plans for a 3rd? 🙂
Thank you Maneesha! I am writing on on instant pot. its delayed now with all the unceretainty. Testing recipes is harder with limited resources. But hopefully things will be on track to get done by end of year then editing and all that.
Wowww that’s AWESOME NEWS!! I love your blog and your cookbooks!
I’m THRILLED to hear you’re working on an Instant Pot book! I hope this is still in the works. Your other two books are my hands-down favorites — I’ve never been so excited about cooking! — and this third book will fill a serious void in my collection. All of the time and energy you put into your recipes, blog, and books is very appreciated and helps to make this world a better place. Thank you!
wow Lori, I can’t thank you enough for your support!!! Your enthusiasm is infectious! I love it. I’m so pleased
Thanks! Do you recommend soaking them before?
i havent really used them, so id say try either way
Can I use Nutrella nuggets instead of soy curls?
you can, you’ll need tot cook them longer as thy are harder and chewier
Quick question.
How much dried spice would you sub for the whole spices? Such as the cardamom pods, clove and cinnamon sticks.
Also, very excited to try this recipe out. I bought dried Fenugreek specifically for it!
Would using vegan sour cream work instead of yogurt? It’s hard to find small portions of yogurt in the store and I don’t use it too often. Thanks for any thoughts!
Yes, that will work.
I just sent your Every Day cookbook and your Indian cookbook to my sisters in Minnesota (I already own them). They like curry and are trying to eat less meat and dairy. I hope to make vegans out of them!
Is this a recipe in which I could substitute the ground mustard and celery seeds for the fenugreek? I can’t eat fenugreek because it is related to peanuts and gives me a similar allergic reaction. Are the celery seeds ground also? Would I use 3 tsp of the two combined (not 3 of each, I assume)?
1/4th tsp of ground mustard
1/4th tsp of celery seeds (not ground).
Hi Richa,
Please advise me where can I get soy curls? I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Thank you.
On amazon, seems expensive. You can also use other substitutes like Seitan.