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bowl of butter ramen with tofu and a lime wedge
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4.83 from 23 votes

Vegan Butter Chicken Ramen

Butter Chikin ramen noodles uses flavorful Indian butter sauce in place of regular ramen broth. You cook the noodles in the sauce itself, making this a one-pot meal! Add whatever veggies you like. For the protein, I use tofu, but you can also use vegan chicken substitutes or soy curls.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: dinner, Main, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Indian Fusion
Keyword: butter chicken noodles, butter ramen, indian ramen
Servings: 4
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the spiced tofu:

  • 8 ounces firm or extra firm tofu pressed and then cubed or sliced as you like
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce , tamari for gluten-free
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika or you can also use cayenne, if you like it hot

For the butter ramen:

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped or sliced onion
  • 6 ounces thinly sliced mushroom
  • 1/2 of a bell pepper thinly sliced. You can use just green or a mix of red and green.
  • 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste or 1" of ginger, minced, and 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
  • 15 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
  • 4 cups water or broth , use 2.5 cups for thicker saucy ramen and 4.5 cups for brothier ramen
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 6 ounces ramen or thin udon noodles
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne optional

For garnish:

  • chopped cilantro, thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced green chili or pepper flakes, lime wedges

Instructions

Crisp up the tofu:

  • Press the tofu, if you haven't already, then add to a bowl. Add the lime juice and soy sauce and toss well. Then, mix the dry spices in a small bowl and then sprinkle all over the tofu and set aside. (Add 1 tsp cornstarch for crispier) Heat up a wok over medium high heat, add 2 teaspoons of oil, and then add the tofu and cook until somewhat crisp on the edges.
  • Transfer the tofu to a separate dish and set aside.

Make the ramen:

  • To the same wok, add the onion and mushroom and a good pinch of salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mushrooms are somewhat cooked. You can reserve some of the mushrooms for garnish, if you want, or continue with the rest of the recipe.
  • Add the bell pepper, ginger-garlic paste, and black pepper and mix really well for a few seconds, then mix in the tomato paste, spices, and coconut milk. Stir the tomato paste into the coconut milk mixture so that there are no lumps, then add in the water, salt, and maple syrup.
  • Bring to a good, rolling boil, then add the ramen noodles or udon noodles and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook for 3 or 4 minutes for the ramen, 6 to 8 minutes for the udon, or according to the time mentioned on your noodle package. Check in a minute or so before the time limit to see whether the noodles are cooked.
  • Switch off the heat once the noodles are just a bit more cooked than al dente, because they will continue cooking in the hot broth. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add some more lime, salt, maple syrup, or heat if you like. I like to add some sliced green chili here as well.

Garnish and serve:

  • Transfer some of the noodles to a bowl, transfer some of the creamy broth and veggies on top of the noodles.
  • Top these noodles with a good portion of the crisped up tofu, then garnish with cilantro, thinly sliced green chilies, thinly sliced red onion or green onion, and lime wedges.

Video

Notes

This recipe is nut-free.
Soy-free: use soy-free chicken substitute. Or you can use my chickpea tofu instead. Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. 
Gluten-free: Use gluten free noodles and protein for gluten-free. Use tamari instead of soy sauce 
Coconut free, use cashew milk. You can make the cashew milk by blending 1/3 cup of cashews with 1 cup of water until creamy, and then use that instead.
Use soycurls or other chicken subs: Use 8 oz seitan, or 3 oz soycurls soaked in hot broth and drained instead of tofu. 
Make ahead/cook noodles separately: Most noodles can absorb lot of the liquid when stored. So make noodles separately for making ahead. Cook noodles according to instructions on package. For the ramen, use the coconut milk and 1/2 to 1 cup water depending on how brothy you want the ramen. Bring to a boil, simmer for 3-4 mins and store or serve with the noodles 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 596mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 303IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 1mg