Vegetarian Butter Chicken with Soy Curls | Instant Pot Keto

This Instant Pot Keto Vegetarian Butter Chicken with Soy Curls recipe has all of the flavors of the famous Two Sleevers Butter Chicken recipe–in a flavorful vegetarian version. This Indian Vegetarian Recipe is an easy Instant Pot recipe that I hope you guys enjoy.

Vegetarian Butter Chicken with Soy Curls | Instant Pot Keto

How would you like to make an Indian, Keto, vegetarian meal in your Instant Pot in less than 25 minutes? This Instant Pot Vegetarian Butter Chicken recipe will fit the bill.

So many people have asked me to create a vegetarian version of my butter chicken and while I keep meaning to, something or the other comes up instead. I know you can simply add paneer later, and I’ve suggested this to a lot of people. 

WHAT IS REPLACING CHICKEN IN THIS INSTANT POT VEGETARIAN  RECIPE?

Soy curls, that’s what.

Soy curls are a meat alternative that are made from soybeans. They are healthy, have no preservatives, and are full of fiber. They have a similar texture as chicken, so even if you are looking for ways to cut meat out of your weekly meals, soy curls are a great alternative. 

Several people have raved about soy curls in the vegetarian groups I’m in, and I thought I’d try it out. I’ve never used them before but all the recipes I read said you should soak them for 10 minutes in hot water first. In an Instant Pot though, I’m not sure why this would be needed.

Wouldn’t the soy curls just hydrate during cooking? I thought it was time to test that hypothesis.

Sure enough, the curls can just be poured in dry and they are well-hydrated and plump when finished.

WHAT DO SOY CURLS TASTE LIKE?

I find them to be a lot like tofu, in that they take on the taste of whatever you put them into.

They’re a little chewy–in a good way–so you can get your teeth into something yummy.

But they don’t by themselves, seem to have much of a taste, which makes them perfect to take on tastes from whatever sauce you use.

Other Indian Vegetarian Recipes:

If you’re looking for other great vegetarian recipes, check out my Palak Paneer! This otherwise difficult recipe is easy thanks to your Instant Pot!

Another fantastic vegetarian dish is my Baingan Bharta recipe! Believe it or not, you can get a wonderful smoky flavor in the Instant Pot without spending time to roast and char the eggplant.

Vegetarian Butter Chicken Sauce

This recipe for vegetarian butter chicken is a little different from the butter chicken as it will definitely not make extra sauce. You will also need to add some water, to hydrate the curls and to provide enough cooking liquid to come to pressure.

Additionally, there’s no good way to puré the sauce since you can’t take out the soy curls easily. But it works anyway.

Simple Steps to Make This Recipe: 

• Pour everything into the Instant Pot.
• Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes, NPR for 10, release remaining pressure.
• Add cream and butter.
• Serve with rice, cauliflower rice, naan, or cucumber shreds as I did

Tips and Tricks:

• Soy curls do not have to be soaked beforehand if you’re using them in a pressure cooker. The high heat, steam, and time under pressure seem to rehydrate them just fine.
• You can use Greek Yogurt in place of the heavy cream. 
• If you are vegan, you can use coconut milk, and coconut oil as replacements for the cream and butter.
• If you don’t have soy curls readily available, use Paneer or Tofu. But I urge you to click on the link and get those soy curls, since I think you’ll find them to be quite versatile and useful.

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