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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 recipe is delicious! I went ahead and soaked my soy curls before using, I haven’t used them very often and have had problems with them being bitter without soaking. I just ended up letting it simmer longer to let the sauce thicken (I used the stovetop method). Will make again!
Yay! So glad it worked out.
Hi Richa – I just discovered your blog and all your recipes look amazing! I am not a vegan but want to eat more plant based meals. I am currently trying out this soy curls recipe (first time trying soy curls). I have a couple if questions:
1. Can you please confirm the weight measurement for the soy curls? The recipe card says 1.5 cups = 183g. I weighed it but the amount of soy curls is double the 1.5 cups! I ended up going with the cup measurement for now.
2. Can I use the dairy equivalent wherever non-dairy ingredients are used? For example, can I use butter, milk, and yogurt?
Thanks!
Use the cup measure.
Oh wow! So “meaty” and delicious! I tripled this recipe. I used a combination of jackfruit, chickpeas and soy curls. I added some extra garam masala and left out the cayenne (it gives me heartburn). Fanastic over rice or with vegan naan. Yum!
thank you!
This is really good. I made it last night. I just put it all in the Instant Pot with no sautéing or other steps. I don’t know if it would taste better if I did that but we both really liked it!
Yay
I misread the instructions for mixing in the ground spices (since it came after the blender step, I threw them in with the blender mixture before it went into the pot, because I didn’t watch the video), but it still tasted great. Will definitely make again. Also a forgiving recipe if your IP decides to randomly lose pressure and you end up having to start over. I used oat milk because I need to keep my sat fat down and was pleasantly surprised it still was super delicious without using coconut milk like I typically do with Indian recipes.
It’s peak tomato season right now so I had no issues with the tomato for now, but would you say probably half a can of drained diced tomatoes should sub ok when fresh tomatoes go out of season and are too sad?
Glad I finally bought the kasoori methi and look forward to using more!
wow, keep overcoming those obstcles
Hi Richa, I love your recipes and so looking forward to your Instant Pot Book.
I don’t use soya and would be grateful if you could tell me please if I am using the alternatives you mention, ie tinned Jackfruit or Seitan would I add it at the same time as you add soya curls or after cooking the sauce.
Many thanks
thank you! you would add it when you would have added the soy curls =)
Thank you
This was so delicious and our 9 and 10 year old loved it (they’re also big fans of Vegan Richa’s eggplant baignan and butter soy curls). We left out the chili for them but everything else was made as called for and it was incredible! We did get a burn notification on our instant pot and had to add more water, but once we did and scraped the bottom it was fine. Will absolutely be making this again! We used Forager cashew brand yogurt, unsweetened plain.
We enjoyed this dish a lot. I did not use my IP because I opted to serve the Soy Curls over quinoa, so I used our IP to make the quinoa, and made the sauce on the stove. I didn’t cook the Soy Curls in the sauce as directed, though. I don’t care for the soft mushy texture of Soy Curls after they’ve rehydrated and cooked in sauces. Instead, I rehydrated them in Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Broth, and then baked them for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring half way through. This gives the Soy Curls a more chewy texture, which we prefer. I put the Soy Curls on top of the quinoa, and then ladled the sauce over the top.
Question: How do you remove the cloves (along with the bay leaves and cinnamon stick) before serving? I couldn’t easily see the cloves to remove them, so I had a couple of bites where I bit down on a clove, and that was all I could taste, which was off putting.
awesome! thanks for the rating and the info! You could grind them in a coffee grinder or use a
‘bouquet garni’ tie them in a pouch of cheesecloth tied with kitchen twine
This is such a delicious dish! I had never heard of soy curls until I tried this and they’re tasty and filling. We don’t miss roti at all. I have shared the Vegan Richa website with many friends. I appreciate all the hard work you do on each recipe, especially vegan Indian cuisine as well as a variety of desserts.
Seriously amazing recipe with depth and character. The variation of spices creates a unique flavor. I bought Fenugreek seeds not the Fenugreek leaves and did NOT use them, because I did a quick research on using seeds in place of the leaves and it would have been a mistake. Instead the internet said that Maple Syrup has a similar molecular compound so I used a tiny bit of that instead. I couldn’t find Fenugreek leaves at the market that’s why the change. I added about 1/2 tsp of garem masala not coriander. I added some Kosher salt to taste after it was made and that really made a difference. Also, I had never used Soy Curls before and never used an Insta-Pot for sautéing so that was fun and it worked out really well. Thank you Richa for an incredible recipe. My husband who is mostly and newly vegan really liked this dish too. Looking forward to making other meals with soy curls. BTW: for the person who posted re: the tomato…I used 2 Tomatoes and that I believe was the correct amount of tomato to use. Hope that helps.
I should clarify …re: the tomato. I doubled this recipe that’s why I used 2 tomatoes and 1/2 tsp garam masala. If I was making the original recipe it would have been one tomato instead. Hope this helps to clarify